Arnold Khegai and Lerato Dlamini are not in one another’s sight.
The Ring has confirmed that Khegai will make his High Rank debut on a July 13 card in Las Vegas. The bout is available in lieu of an IBF title eliminator versus South Africa’s Dlamini, which is not in play.
An opponent was not but named for Khegai, a Ukraine-born boxer of Korean descent now primarily based in Los Angeles. What has been confirmed is his choice to as a substitute journey the WBO route for his first profession title shot.
TGB Promotions received an April 30 purse bid to achieve promotional rights to the IBF-ordered eliminator. The bid was positioned on behalf of Colin Nathan, Dlamini’s supervisor and head coach. Apparently, Nathan deliberate to stage the struggle on July 13, however in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Khegai (21-1-1, 13 knockouts) was on account of make $17,750 for a struggle midway around the globe. That was considered when his staff declined when it got here time to signal.
“IBF purse bid break up of 75/25 when Dlamini just isn’t a champion made no sense for us to proceed,” Sam Katkovski, Khegai’s supervisor, informed The Ring. “Arnold is ranked #1 in WBO. We signed with High Rank to ship us a title shot. We have now full confidence that may occur shortly. Arnold will return to the ring in July on ESPN.”
Khegai’s struggle will land on a present headlined by unified IBF/WBO middleweight titlist Janibek Almikhanuly (15-0, 10 KOs).
In the meantime, Dlamini’s seek for a brand new opponent may lead again to an previous rival.
The 30-year-old contender was so dedicated to the IBF course of that he deserted a secured rematch with Tomoki Kameda. The 2 have been on account of run it again on March 31 in Nagoya, Japan. Dlamini (20-2, 11 KOs) received their first struggle by way of choice on October 7 in Tokyo.
A entice door clause within the contract referred to as for Kameda Promotions—headed by Koki, Tomoki’s older brother—to achieve IBF sanctioning for the struggle. When that didn’t occur, Nathan used the loophole to stroll away from the occasion.
Tomoki Kameda as a substitute confronted Kevin Villanueva, whom he stopped after 5 rounds. Apparently, he stays the very best ranked obtainable contender to subsequent face Dlamini.
The IBF will ship invitation letters for each camps to simply accept, at which level a brand new spherical of negotiations can be ordered. Ought to both aspect decline, the IBF will transfer on to the subsequent highest ranked contender.
Jonathan Lopez (14-0, 10 KOs) is rated one spot beneath Kameda. The Eddy Reynoso-managed featherweight faces Edgar Ortega (14-2-2, 7 KOs) this Saturday on the Emanuel Navarrete-Denys Berinchyk undercard in San Diego.
No matter comes of the IBF path will depart reigning titlist Luis Alberto Lopez (30-2, 17 knockouts), No. 1 at 126, with room for not less than one voluntary protection.
Khegai has received 5 straight fights since a January 2020 defeat to then-unbeaten Stephen Fulton in Brooklyn, New York. The bout was a sanctioned WBO 122-pound title eliminator. Philadelphia’s Fulton (21-1, 8 KOs), No. 1 at 122, went on to win the WBO and WBC titles on the weight.
The defeat was the final at 122 for Khegai, now a featherweight and who signed with High Rank earlier this spring. His most up-to-date victory got here in a third-round knockout of Jon Martinez on January 27 in Barcelona, Spain.
Jake Donovan is a senior author for The Ring and vp of the Boxing Writers Affiliation of America.
Comply with @JakeNDaBox
