The IBF will be ordering a purse bid for a mandatory title defense between IBF middleweight champion Saul Canelo Alvarez and challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko, according to Mike Coppinger.
“Source tells @TheAthleticBOX IBF is expected to order a purse bid for mandatory title fight between Canelo and Sergey Derevyanchenko. Canelo isn’t interested in that bout, which could clear path for GGG to fight Derevyanchenko for vacant title (top two fighters in IBF rankings),” Coppinger.
Derevyanchenko is an excellent fighter, but he’s not a big name in the U.S.
By Golovkin capturing the vacant IBF middleweight title, he’d go into the trilogy fight with Canelo as a world champion instead of just a challenger. Canelo and Golden Boy Promotions wants Golovkin to resurrect his career before he faces Canelo in a third fight, but he’s not done that yet.