By Edward Chaykovsky

WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas (27-1, 10KOs) will receive a career high payday for his unification with IBF welterweight champ Kell Brook (36-0, 25KOs).

According to the Sheffield Star, Vargas will receive $1.7 million to travel across the ocean for a fight with Brook at Bramall Lane in Sheffield. The date being eyed is September 3rd.

The fight will be the biggest for Brook since winning a close decision over Shawn Porter to capture the IBF strap in 2014, and the biggest for Vargas since losing a twelve round decision to Timothy Bradley in early 2015.

Frank Warren had been trying to get Brook to face WBO junior middleweight champion Liam Smith and made an offer of 600,000 pounds with a pay-per-view upside. Brook's promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport, said the offer was not enough to sway Brook away from the Vargas bout.

Hearn told IFL TV: “We really want to have the big fights at welterweight, and try to unify before moving up. An offer (reportedly £600,000) made to Kell (to fight Liverpool’s Liam Smith) was not nearly enough. It’s less than what he’s been earning. We’re looking at August 27 or September 3, but we don’t expect many problems with the deal.

“We think Vargas has come out and said he’s signed his deal, but what that means is he’s agreed with Top Rank what he’s getting for the fight. We’re not having problems with that fight. I think September 3 is a better time to do an event than the end of August.”