WBO orders Saunders-Khurtsidze clash

Andrew Karlov Jan. 27, 2017, 2:57 a.m.
Billy Joe Saunders
Billy Joe Saunders

The WBO Championship Committee has given the camps of WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders and mandatory challenger Avtandil Khurtsidze ten days to negotiate an agreement for a WBO middleweight championship bout. If an accord is not reached within the time frame, a purse bid will be ordered. The minimum acceptable bid is $200,000. Either of the parties involved may call for a purse bid at any time during the negotiation process.

England’s Saunders (24-0, 12 KOs) reportedly is interested in fighting Japan’s Ryota Murata (12-0, 9 KOs), the WBO’s No. 2-ranked contender at 160 pounds. A fight against Murata would be more lucrative for Saunders, particularly in Japan, but Khurtsidze would have to be compensated before agreeing to step aside and allow that fight to happen.

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