The vacant middleweight world title fight between Sergiy Derevyanchenko and Daniel Jacobs was made official Friday along with two other world title bouts on the undercard.
Derevyanchenko and former secondary titlist Jacobs will meet Oct. 27 (HBO, 10 p.m. ET/PT) at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, where they will duke it out for a 160-pound world title stripped from Gennady Golovkin on June 6 for failing to make a timely mandatory defense against Derevyanchenko.
The card will also feature junior lightweight titlist Alberto Machado defending against Yuandale Evans in the televised co-feature and a vacant women's featherweight title fight pitting Heather Hardy and Shelly Vincent in a rematch, although their bout will not be part of the HBO broadcast.
Derevyanchenko-Jacobs has been in the pipeline since Golovkin was stripped. The deal between promoters Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, Jacobs' promoter, and Derevyanchenko promoter Lou DiBella was made a few weeks ago, but now the match is officially on after they finally settled with HBO on a date and venue.
Derevyanchenko (12-0, 10 KOs), 32, a 2008 Olympian for Ukraine who fights out of Brooklyn, and Jacobs (34-2, 29 KOs), 31, are very familiar with each other. They have known each other for years. They share the same manager in Keith Connolly, have sparred numerous times and also share trainer Andre Rozier, who will be with Jacobs for the fight.
The fight is the third on Jacobs' exclusive contract with HBO since signing with Hearn and HBO after his close decision loss to Golovkin in March 2017, and on paper, it's his most challenging.
"I'm excited to be back in New York City fighting in my hometown," said Jacobs, a Brooklyn native. "This opportunity for a world title is one I don't take lightly, and I'm preparing myself to be in an incredible fight with Sergey Derevyanchenko. I've always felt that I was the best middleweight in the world. With this type of fight, I'm that much closer to all that glory and to proving to the world I am the best."
Said Hearn: "When we started working with Danny, the goal was always to become world champion, and now the time has come."
Derevyanchenko became one of Golovkin's mandatory challengers by virtue of his 12th-round knockout of Tureano Johnson 13 months ago and has fought just once since, a sixth-round knockout of Dashon Johnson in March, while awaiting his title opportunity.
"I'm a step away from my dream, and I will not miss this chance," said Derevyanchenko, who was 390-20 as an amateur. "From my time in the amateurs to my pro career, this has been a long time coming for me. I've beaten everyone they've put in front of me to earn this shot. Having trained with Danny, I know him very well and we are friends. However, it will be strictly business in the ring. I will not be denied. The belt will be mine."
Said DiBella: "With over 400 amateur bouts, a trip to the Olympics and experience in the World Series of Boxing, Sergey was adamant with me that he wanted to fight for a world title against the biggest name available. I've known Danny since he was a kid. He is a great fighter in and out of the ring.
"Stylistically, this is a can't-miss action fight. Sergey studies his opponents, finds their weaknesses, then breaks them down. That is why he has such a great chance to win this fight and become the IBF middleweight champion."
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