Done deal: GGG, Murata to meet in middleweight unification bout on Dec. 29
Fight will take place in Japan and stream on DAZN
The long discussed deal for a middleweight title unification fight between Gennadiy Golovkin and Ryota Mura in Japan is signed, sealed and delivered.
They will meet to unify their 160-pound belts on Dec. 29 (DAZN) at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, which borders Murata’s hometown of Tokyo, DAZN announced on Thursday night, which coincided with a news conference being held Friday afternoon Japan time.
The fight has been in the works for months and the deal for Golovkin-Murata is part of an amended contract Golovkin, who is under exclusive long-term deal to DAZN, and the sports streaming service recently finalized, a source with knowledge of the new agreement told Fight Freaks Unite.
“I am really excited to be bringing the ‘Big Drama Show’ to Japan, a country where boxing is very popular,” Golovkin said. “Ryota Murata has been an outstanding champion. It is going to be a special night when we meet in the ring to unify our titles. We are going to give the fans a great fight.”
The 39-year-old Golovkin (41-1-1, 36 KOs), a Kazakhstan native fighting out of Santa Monica, California, will be making the second defense of the vacant IBF belt he won by disputed decision against Sergiy Derevyanchenko in brutal slugfest in October 2019. GGG made his fist defense 14 months later by one-sided seventh-round knockout of mandatory challenger Kamil Szeremeta, whom he knocked down four times, last December.
Golovkin’s current title reign followed a dominating eight-year title run in which he tied Bernard Hopkins for the all-time middleweight division record with 20 consecutive defenses before losing his unified title by controversial majority decision to Canelo Alvarez in September 2018 in a rematch of their even more disputed split draw in September 2017 that most saw Golovkin winning.
Two-time WBA titlist Murata (16-2, 13 KOs), 35, who became a Japanese national hero when he won a 2012 Olympic gold medal, regained the belt by second-round knockout of Rob Brant in their July 2019 rematch. Murata defended the belt by fifth-round knockout of Steven Butler in December 2019 and will end a two-year layoff when he faces Golovkin.
“I feel that my entire amateur and professional boxing career has been a preparation for this fight against Gennadiy Golovkin,” Murata said. “This fight will determine my place in the middleweight division and boxing history. Gennadiy Golovkin has long been the standard-bearer of the middleweight division. To me, he is still undefeated. I have the highest respect for him.
“It has been almost two years since my last fight, because of the pandemic, but I have put that time to good use, working very hard with my trainers on improving my physical conditioning and adding more power to my punches. I am so proud Japan is hosting this fight. It is a great honor for me.”
There had been discussions with DAZN about Golovkin and Murata each having an interim fight this past summer and perhaps even sharing a card together for those interim bouts but ultimately the decision was made to go straight to the unification fight.
A quick note to Fight Freaks Unite readers: If you have upgraded to a paid subscription, thank you! If you have not, please consider doing so to receive the most content. A paid subscription is your way of keeping this reader-supported newsletter going and supporting independent journalism. I hope you see value in getting timely and accurate news and information, and (hopefully) entertaining commentary and audio content, delivered directly to your inbox. You don’t have to look for boxing news and commentary, it comes to you. Please support independent boxing journalism.
I am beholden to no network, promoter, manager, sanctioning body or fighter. If you have read my work at all during the past 20-plus years I’ve covered professional boxing you know that I keep it real and that will not change. Thank you and I hope you enjoy.
To upgrade your subscription please go here: https://danrafael.substack.com/subscribe
Thank you so much for your support of Fight Freaks Unite!
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danrafael1/
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanRafael1
Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanRafaelBoxing
Disputed decision win over Sergiy Derevyanchenko? 115-112 twice and 114-113 with the first round knockdown by Golovkin the difference!
Well 3G is pushing 40 yo he got a deal like every other fighter who went with DAZN prior to the Pandemic and whatnot, many fighters make above and beyound what they would have gotten in another time in boxing. Fair enough. So he does this fight and IF he wins gets one more and done. Boxing with most fighters not fighting often and match ups being geared towards protect the "0" followed by how you are packaged and percieved in the fight game good for him. Another words he did his time kept his record clean I hope he leaves with two decent wins and starts his promotion work in the time he has left. And time is no longer on his side.