Matchroom Boxing is opening 2020 with a big world title tripleheader in Miami.
WBO middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade will defend his title against mandatory challenger Luke Keeler in the main event of a DAZN card from Meridian at Island Gardens in Miami on January 30. Also announced for the show is Tevin Farmer vs. Joseph Diaz for the IBF super featherweight title and Daniel Roman vs. Murodjon Akhmadaliev for the unified WBA and IBF super bantamweight titles.
Andrade enjoyed his first full year as the WBO middleweight champion defending his title twice with wins over Maciej Sulecki and Artur Akavov. Andrade had long sought out fights against the likes of Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin, both middleweight titleholders, for months but was unsuccessful in doing so. Keeler, on the other hand, is unbeaten in his last eight fights and won the WBO European middleweight title in March.
The fight between Farmer and Diaz had been one both sides publicly wanted for months, given how the two verbally sparred, challenging each other to step inside the ring. Farmer has held the title since August 2018 and has made four successful title defenses, last competing in July when he defeated Guillaume Frenois. Diaz, a former featherweight title challenger, has won four straight fights after losing a 12-round decision against WBC featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr.
Roman and Akhmadaliev were originally supposed to fight each other this past September, but Roman suffered an injury that forced the bout to be postponed. Roman, who held a version of the WBA title since September 2017, became the unified champion in April with a win over then-IBF champion TJ Doheny. Akhmadaliev has the opportunity to become one of the fastest boxers in history to win a world title as this will be just his eighth pro bout. Akhmadaliev last fought in September with a TKO win over Wilner Soto.
