Middleweight boxer Ryota Murata will be in the ring for his sixth professional fight, against the United States' Jessie Nicklow, while former double weight-class champion Jorge Linares will take on Javier Prieto for the WBC lightweight title at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on Dec. 30, Teiken Promotions announced on Tuesday.
The 27-year-old Nicklow, nicknamed "The Beast," is known as a combative fighter who has gone 24-4-3 (eight KOs) in his professional career. Murata, who said that he has watched a fight of Nicklow's on video, commented that it would be an entertaining bout for the spectators.
"He's an aggressive fighter and I think we're going to fight well against each other," said Murata, who has a perfect 5-0 record since turning pro last year, at a Tokyo news conference. "It's going to be fun to watch for the fans, though it's going to be tough for us that are actually fighting."