Andre Dirrell and Jose Uzcategui are about to settle their near year-long feud in Showtime's New York home: Barclays Center.
It was announced that Dirrell and and Uzcategui will fight for the interim IBF super middleweight title on the March 3 Showtime Championship Boxing card from the Barclays Center.
The first fight between the two boxers, also for the interim IBF title, ended in massive controversy when Uzcategui landed a punch on Dirrell after the bell to end the eighth round sounded. The punch knocked out Dirrell which prompted the referee to end the fight right there. What followed was Dirrell's trainer Leon Lawson Jr. coming to the ring after the fight was over and sucker punch Uzcategui. As a result of the chaos that started with a punch after the bell, Dirrell was awarded the win and the title by disqualification because Uzcategui did punch Dirrell after the bell.
"I'm very excited to go get what's mine. I feel I won the last fight. I didn't feel I did anything wrong. What happened in the last fight is in the past. I'm going to get what belongs to me. The world will see what 'Bolivita' can do and they'll want to see more of me," Uzcategui said in a press release.
The winner of this bout would likely fight IBF super middleweight champion Caleb Truax. In the meantime, Truax could fight former champion James DeGale in a rematch from their December encounter 2017 fight that saw Truax score one of the biggest upsets of the year when Truax won the title off of DeGale in the United Kingdom.
Dirrell vs. Uzcategui is the third world title fight taking place on the card. Not only will Deontay Wilder defend his WBC heavyweight title against Luis Ortiz in the main event, but Jermall Charlo will fight Hugo Centeno Jr. for the vacant interim WBC middleweight title in the co-feature.
