Boxing: Andrei Mikhailovich aiming for December return against Denis Radovan for IBF mandatory challenger status

Andrei Mikhailovich is set to return to the ring in December. Photo / Photosport

Andrei Mikhailovich is set to land the biggest fight of his career as an early Christmas present, with the unbeaten middleweight boxer targeted for a December return.

The 25-year-old has been waiting on his next assignment since claiming a fifth-round knockout over Edisson Saltarin in Auckland in April, which saw him move up the rankings to No 4 with the IBF and No 7 with the WBO.

Now, the IBF has ordered a bout between the Peach Boxing-trained Mikhailovich and No 3-ranked Denis Radovan to find a mandatory challenger to the organisation’s world title.

The bout is being lined up for December 16 in Sunderland, England, with former undisputed light-welterweight world champion Josh Taylor’s return fight expected to be the main event, after he lost his WBO and The Ring world titles to Teofimo Lopez earlier this year.

Mikhailovich’s promoter Dean Lonergan confirmed the fight was on track for the December date, but said the contracts were yet to be signed as they were still negotiating with Radovan’s representatives around such points as TV rights and independent officials.

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“It’s been very frustrating trying to get this fight over the line. It was ordered by the IBF some time ago, and we’ve had an exchange of contracts. Wasserman, Radovan’s promoter, sent down a contract, we’ve marked up changes that we need to get done,” Lonergan told the Herald.

“It’s been very frustrating from Wasserman; they’ve been tighter than a fish’s arse in terms of what they’re prepared to pay and what they’re prepared to let us have, so it’s been a frustrating exercise, but fingers crossed we get it done in the next week or so.”

Andrei Mikhailovich has won six of his last seven bouts by stoppage. Photo / AAP / Photosport

The bout would set the winner up for a shot at the world title likely midway into next year, with current IBF champion Vincenzo Gualtieri set to fight WBO title holder Janibek Alimkhanuly in a unification bout next week.

In boxing, world titles are required to be defended every nine months across every weight class with the exception of heavyweight, which allows a 12-month period between defences.

The bout against Radovan will be a timely step up for Mikhailovich, who has been able to end 12 of his 20 wins inside the distance, including six of his last seven outings.

“We’re very excited by it and he’s like a thoroughbred racehorse who just wants to run and run and run. Isaac Peach has good a big job of keeping him under control, keeping him training hard and I know for a fact he’s training his ass off,” Lonergan said of Mikhailovich.

“He really wants this, but he’s frustrated as all heck that we haven’t had it sooner. We’re locked in for December 16 and fingers crossed we can get this deal done in the very near future, he fights Radovan, knocks him out, and goes on to greater things.”

He added: “We’re really excited by it. We think he’s good enough to win it. Denis Radovan’s a German, Andrei’s got his Russian background; you’re going to see more bombs landed in this fight than what happened in 1945 in Berlin when the Russians invaded the Germans.”