After 16 weeks of negotiations, four venue changes and a whole lot of uncertainty, Jeff Horn's US boxing debut is finally locked in.
Bob Arum's Top Rank promotions has officially confirmed the date and venue for Horn's mandatory WBO welterweight championship clash with unbeaten American sensation Terence Crawford.
The fight will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on June 9 - despite a late attempt by Horn's promoters, Duco Events, to have it moved because of a pay-per-view clash with Australian UFC champion Robert Whittaker's first title defence.
"Defending the world title successfully a second time is a must," said Horn in a statement released by Top Rank.
"Crawford is a very talented fighter and deserves his accolades. I will be on a mission to prove the doubters wrong.
"Obviously, I am a very competitive guy who works really hard to achieve his goals.
"Crawford is a brilliant boxer, but I am coming to win, and I will win.
"Crawford's trash talk has only inspired me that much more to shock the world once again."
Horn and Crawford, both 30, were supposed to fight on April 14 but it was pushed back because the Nebraska native suffered an injury to his hand in training.
Crawford is heavily favoured to win and is rated by many as one of the top pound-for-pound boxers in the world.
He last entered the ring on August 19 last year, when he defeated the previously unbeaten Julius Indigo to unify all four major world titles in the junior welterweight division.
Horn's most recent fight was his December 13 win over England's Gary Corcoran in Brisbane.
It was his first defence of the WBO belt he famously won off Manny Pacquiao in a controversial decision in front of 50,000 at Suncorp Stadium.
