Former light-heavyweight champion Jean Pascal will face unbeaten Cuban Yunieski Gonzalez in a 10-round bout on July 25 in Las Vegas, his promoters announced Friday.
The fight will take place on the undercard featuring Sergey ‘Krusher’ Kovalev (27-0-1), who holds three of the four light-heavyweight belts and Nadjib Mohammedi (37-3).
It will be Pascal’s third fight in a seven-month span. He fought Roberto Boloni to a two-round no contest in December and was stopped inside the eighth round by Kovalev in an entertaining contest on March 14 in Montreal.
“I’m eager to get back in the ring,” Pascal said in a statement. “The years where I have been very active are the ones that I’ve performed the best.
Pascal, 32, lost the WBC title to Bernard Hopkins in a rematch in 2011. They fought to a controversial draw in 2010, with most ringside analysts seeing Hopkins the clear victor, despite being knocked down twice in the opening rounds.
The 29-year-old Gonzalez has stopped seven consecutive opponents.
“This is the fight I have been waiting for,” said Gonzalez. “I’m not punching at him; I’m punching through him. And when I’m done with him, he won’t be any good for anyone else.”
The bouts are co-promoted by Pascal, Interbox, and Main Events, with the fight televised on HBO.
