George Kambosos Jr (20-2, 10 KOs) and Maxi Hughes (26-5-2, 5 KOs) have agreed to a deal to fight in the summer for the IBF #2 spot at lightweight, likely in June in Australia.
The winner of the Kambosos Jr vs. Hughes fight could challenge for the IBF lightweight title if the current champion Devin Haney vacates his four belts to move up to 140 after he defends against Vasily Lomachenko on May 20th.
For the former IBF, WBA, WBO & Ring Magazine lightweight champion Kambosos, it would be ideal for him to get another world title shot if he successfully defeats Hughes.
It won’t be easy if he does fight for the vacant IBF title because he would need to face the hard-hitting #1 Gustavo Lemos (28-0, 18 KOs), who is a vicious body puncher.
Hughes has looked great lately, beating Kid Galahad, Jovanni Straffon, Ryan Walsh, Patrick Hyland Jr, Jono Carroll, and Viktor Kotochigov.
The way Hughes has looked in his last seven fights, he could send the 29-year-old Kambosos Jr to his third consecutive loss.
George Kambosos and Maxi Hughes have agreed to terms for a lightweight fight this summer in Australia,” said Mike Coppinger to ESPN. “No site, date, or American television broadcaster has been finalized yet, but the 135-pound bout is likely to take place in June.
Kambosos had a bad year in 2022, losing his unified lightweight titles to Devin Haney and then getting beaten in their rematch last October as well.
Hughes has looked great since rebounding from a loss to Liam Walsh in 2019. If Kambosos loses this fight, it could be over for him because the defeat would send him sinking to the bottom or perhaps out of the tier altogether, as it would be his third straight loss.
“My motivation is to do it again. Pick up a few more belts and add them to the collection,” said Kambosos to GEEDUP Co. TV about his dream of becoming a two-time world champion.
“I’m a warrior. I love to fight, and I love to have that mentality. There’s still so much anticipation about who Kambosos is going to fight.
“I’m still the face of Australian boxing. It’s good to be known where, but it’s a whole other level when you’re known all over the world. It took for me to take out a top pound-for-pound top five guy, a guy that had just beaten Lomachenko in Teofimo Lopez.
