World Boxing Association middleweight "super champion" Ryota Murata is set to fight Kazakhstani superstar Gennadiy Golovkin in a Dec. 29 title unification bout at Saitama Super Arena, ESPN reported Wednesday.
If confirmed, the blockbuster would be one of the biggest fights to ever take place in Japan. An official announcement is expected next week.
The U.S. broadcaster reported the two camps agreed to a deal, but a source with knowledge of the matter said the venue was still being arranged.
The bout would be Murata's first contest in roughly two years due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the boxing calendar.
The WBA promoted the 35-year-old London Olympic gold medalist to its middleweight super champion earlier this year after Mexico's Saul "Canelo" Alvarez vacated the title.
The 39-year-old Golovkin, previously a unified champion across three organizations, currently holds the International Boxing Federation middle belt.
Murata has 16 wins, 13 by knockout, and two losses in his professional career, while Golovkin is 41-1-1 with 36 KOs.
