Daniel Santos Eyes Sergio Martinez, Yuri Foreman
By Mark Vester
WBA junior middleweight champion Daniel Santos, inactive since last July's knockout win over Joachim Alcine to capture the title, is looking at several possible options as a possible fight with James Kirkland appears unlikely. Santos was looking to defend his title against Kirkland on HBO in August, but Kirkland is still dealing with his massive legal issues after being arrested on firearm charges [while still on probation for an old armed robbery charge].
Santos has to make a mandatory defense. Since January, he's had several fights fall through for one reason or another. If the WBA approves unbeaten Yuri Foreman, he will defend the title against him. He would rather do a unification bout with WBC interim-champion Sergio Martinez, who may become the full champion soon after full titleholder Vernon Forrest stated that he was not interested in fighting him. Santos had been offered a fight with Martinez in the early part of the year but turned it down over training concerns and stated that he needed more time to get his body ready for it.
"I had been spoken to about doing a defense against Kirkland, but that won't happen due to the arrest, If the WBA determines that Yuri Foreman goes to the number one spot [then I'll fight him]. Right now I have to do my mandatory defense, but if the WBA accepts an unification, I would be willing to fight with Martínez," Santos told Primera Hora.
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