The IBF welterweight title eliminator between Karen Chukhadzhian and Paddy Donovan will be decided by purse bid after negotiations failed to produce an agreement.
Chukhadzhian is represented by P2M-Box Promotion, while Donovan is promoted by Matchroom Boxing. The winner of the fight will become the IBF’s next mandatory challenger at 147 pounds.
The mandatory position will lead to a shot at the IBF welterweight champion Lewis Crocker (22-0, 11 KOs), who is expected to defend his title against Liam Paro later this spring in Australia. That bout is currently planned for either Brisbane or the Gold Coast.
Donovan had previously been scheduled to face Paro in January in a fight that would determine the top IBF contender, but illness forced the Limerick southpaw to withdraw from training camp. Paro subsequently advanced to the mandatory position and secured the title opportunity against Crocker.
Chukhadzhian has twice challenged for the IBF welterweight title, losing both attempts by decision to Jaron Ennis. Since the second defeat, the Ukrainian contender has rebuilt momentum with two victories, including a second-round knockout of Joel Mafauad in October.
Under IBF rules, neither fighter can take another bout while the eliminator remains unresolved. If either boxer withdraws from the purse bid process, they risk being removed from the sanctioning body’s rankings and becoming ineligible for IBF-sanctioned fights for at least six months.
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