Even though Daniel Jacobs is the mandatory challenger for the WBA middleweight title that Gennady Golovkin currently holds, Jacobs would also like to fight for the WBO title.
In a press conference after Jacobs' unanimous decision win over Maciej Sulecki on HBO, Jacobs said that he has been pushing for a fight against WBO champion Billy Joe Saunders at some point for 2018.
"It's been something I've been pushing for for a very long time," Jacobs said.
Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, who promotes Jacobs said in the press conference that one problem over having Saunders fight in the United States is his low popularity and that Saunders and promoter Frank Warren might demand too much money to take a fight against Jacobs.
"I think the main issue is that Billy Joe Saunders is not very well known in the U.S. and it's very difficult. If he's going to come to the U.S., with the money [Saunders] is going to want to fight Daniel Jacobs, he's going to price himself out," Hearn said.
After Saunders retained his title against David Lemieux back in December, Warren had explored the possibility of Saunders facing Jacobs this spring. Since then, Saunders was booked into a fight against Martin Murray that was supposed to take place on April 14, but an injury to Saunders forced the fight to be postponed for June 23.
Jacobs is the No. 2 ranked middleweight in the WBO's official rankings. Although Jacobs' win over Sulecki on HBO on April 28 made him the WBA's mandatory challenger, a rematch against Golovkin is somewhat unlikely with Golovkin likely taking a rematch against Canelo Alvarez later this year should Golovkin defeat Vanes Martirosyan on May 5.