According to 1 News, WBO heavyweight boxing champion Joseph Parker will remain with promoter David Higgins.

As BoxingScene.com reported a few weeks ago, Higgins and fellow promoter Dean Lonergan - who were co-owners of promotional company Duco Events - had a bad falling out and were going their separate ways.

Parker, who had a tough decision to make as he's friendly with both men, is sticking with Higgins for the long haul. Another fighter under the Duco banner is undefeated 2012 Australian Olympian Jeff Horn, who will remain with Lonergan. Horn faces Manny Pacquiao next month in Brisbane.

Parker's contract with Higgins runs through until late next year.

The news outlet reports that Parker will head to the UK for a promotional visit before returning to Las Vegas to head into training camp with Kevin Barry in the next few weeks.

There are ongoing discussions to make a mandatory defense against Hughie Fury in September. He was scheduled to make that mandatory fight last month in New Zealand, but Fury withdrew with a back injury.

If the two sides are unable to reach a deal, the contest will once again head to a purse bid. Duco won the first purse bid, but this time Fury's promoter Frank Warren is confident of winning and taking the fight to the UK.

Another possible option, if the Fury fight once again falls out, is a world title defense against former WBC crusierweight champion Tony Bellew, who now completes in the heavyweight division - and Parker is open to that fight.

"He's a bigger name, he's just beaten David Haye which shows that he's up there and he's a contender," Parker said. "We've been communicating through Twitter, he's a noisy character but he's also a gutsy character. He's a cruiserweight moving up to heavyweight - he's gutsy. I'd love to fight him."