Nathan Cleverly Agrees To Terms For Title Fight Against Juergen Braehmer

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Tony-Bellew-Nathan-CleverlyFormer WBO light-heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly (28-2) has agreed to terms for a fight against WBA World light-heavyweight champion Juergen Braehmer (46-2).

Speaking with BBC Sport, the Welshman, 28, will fight the German provided that he is victorious in his next fight, which is scheduled for May 30 against an unknown opponent.

“Terms have been agreed,” Cleverly told BBC Radio Wales Sport. “It’s just a matter of me getting this next fight out of the way and then we are going to make an announcement.”

Cleverly also said he wouldn’t mind fighting in Braehmer’s backyard.

“I think I’ll enjoy that, it will be good,” he added. “It will probably take that edge off, that pressure off of the home crowd behind you, so it’s just a matter of going out, being ready, being focused, and ripping that title from him. I genuinely believe I’m going to do it.”

The WBA has two champions at 175, Sergey Kovalev, the “Super Champion”, and Juergen Braehmer, who is the regular champion. Cleverly lost his WBO title in August 2013 when Kovalev stopped him inside the fourth round.

Cleverly moved up to cruiserweight after his defeat to Kovalev, where he knocked out Shawn Corbin in the second round to become the new WBA Inter-Continental cruiserweight champion. He defended that title once before losing a close split decision in a rematch with Tony Bellew in his most recent trip to the ring. Bellew, who was knocked out by Adonis Stevenson in November 2013, lost by majority decision in their first fight, which was for Cleverly’s WBO light-heavyweight title in October 2011.

Braehmer is out to prove who is the better man against Cleverly – they were supposed to fight in 2011, but the fight was called off after Braehmer suffered an injury in training – and the WBO eventually stripped the German of his title, giving it to Cleverly. There is bad blood that needs to be settled.

Cleverly is back in the light-heavyweight division and the return has him feeling pretty swell.

“It’s going good; my head’s on it,” said Cleverly. “I feel focused, fit, ready, making the weight quite comfortably, to be honest, it’s coming down nice.”