Five top fight cards announced
American television network Showtime has announced the following five top fight cards that will take place from December to March 2017.
WBA featherweight champion Carl Frampton (23-0, 14 KOs) will meet former three-weight world champion Leo Santa Cruz (32-1-1, 18 KOs) in a rematch on January 28 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Northern Ireland's Frampton won the title with a points decision over Santa Cruz in a fight of the year candidate in July to become a two-weight world champion.
Also on the card, WBC lightweight champion Dejan Zlaticanin (18-0, 11 KOs), the first world titleholder from Montenegro, will make his first defence against former two-weight world champion Mikey Garcia (35-0, 29 KOs).
IBF super middleweight champion James DeGale (23-1, 14 KOs) will meet WBC titleholder Badou Jack on January 14 to unify the 168-pound world titles.
DeGale is coming off a points win over mandatory challenger Rogelio Medina last April while Sweden-born Jack, who resides in Las Vegas, fought to a draw against former IBF champion Lucian Bute on the same card. Jack previously earned a split decision over Britain's George Groves, who outpointed countryman DeGale in 2011, the only defeat on DeGale's pro record.
The location of the fight is likely to be in Las Vegas.
In a clash of unbeaten Americans, WBA welterweight titlist Keith Thurman will face WBC champion Danny Garcia in a unification bout on March 4.
Thurman outpointed former champion Shawn Porter in his most recent title defence in June in a fight of the year contender, and Garcia won the vacant WBC belt with a points win over Robert Guerrero in January in his last outing.
Garcia-Thurman is likely to take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
In addition, former four-weight world champion Adrien Broner (32-2, 24 KOs) fights Adrian Granados (18-4-2, 12 KOs) in a light welterweight bout on February 11.
The venue of the fight has not been determined.
And in the first of the five cards, WBA featherweight champion Jesus Cuellar (29-1, 21 KOs) will defend his belt against former three-weight world champion Abner Mares (29-2-1, 15 KOs) on December 10 at the USC Galen Center in Los Angeles. On the same card, IBF light middleweight champion Jermall Charlo (24-0, 18 KOs) will make a mandatory defence against unbeaten contender Julian Williams (22-0-1, 14 KOs).