Fanlong Meng’s first career title fight could come in front a partisan crowd.
With a bid of $1.9 million, Roc Nation Sports—on behalf of Rejoy Group /Longjoy Sports in China—secured promotional rights to Meng’s mandatory challenge of undefeated World light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev through a purse bid hearing held Monday at International Boxing Federation (IBF) headquarters in Springfield, New Jersey.
The hefty winning bid far exceeded the generous offer of $1.315 million submitted by Top Rank Inc., Beterbiev’s promoter and the next highest bidder.
In accordance with IBF-standard purse splits for mandatory title fights, Beterbiev will be entitled to 65%—$1.235 million—of the winning bid, with the remaining 35% ($665,000) going to Meng as the challenger.
Heavy rumors have the bout taking place in Meng’s native China in early spring, although there are necessary steps to be taken in order to secure the location.
As per the purse bid requirements, a non-refundable deposit of 10% of the final amount must be submitted to the IBF, along with another 10% payment to be submitted by no later than five (5) business days following the hearing.
The mandatory title fight was requested in November, with both sides given a 30-day free negotiation period to come to terms and avoid a purse bid hearing. The deadline came and went without a deal in place, prompting the IBF to formally order the purse bid on December 18—though still leaving a window of opportunity for the two sides to work out a deal at the 11th hour.
Beterbiev (15-0, 15KOs) will attempt the fourth overall defense of his IBF title, and first as a unified titlist and lineal 175-pound champion—the latter two achieved in a 10th round stoppage of previously undefeated World Boxing Council (WBC) titlist and World champ Oleksandr Gvozdyk (17-1, 14KOs) this past October.
