According to IBF jr. welterweight champion Zab Judah, it's official! Both he and WBA jr. welterweight champion Amir Khan have agreed to meet in a title unification set for July 23 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. "July 23, Mandalay bay Vegas. Its on," remarked Judah, who notified his fans earlier today via his official Twitter account. Khan would also confirm the bout on Twitter shortly after Judah, telling his fans, "July 23rd, WBA/IBF unification fight. KHAN vs JUDAH. Mandalay bay."
Despite some initial disagreements on the purse split and venue, both sides settled their difference and agreed to a 55-45 split in favor Khan, as well as the more "neutral" location of Las Vegas, Nevada, where the Brooklyn-born Judah ironically now calls his home. "At some point you stop quibbling over a couple of points. Zab will make money when he beats this guy. That's where the upside is. They each have a world title, but the thing Khan has that Zab doesn't is a multi-fight agreement with HBO," explained Judah's promoter, Kathy Duva, during an interview with ESPN.com's Dan Rafael. "That's where his strength comes from. And when Zab beats him, HBO will be seeking out Zab Judah for a multi-fight contract. He'll be the man at that point."
Over the past couple of weeks, there was much speculation about whether or not this bout would actually come to fruition. During that time, both fighters engaged in a war of words via Twitter, but it was Khan who sounded as if he really wasn't interested in the bout, referring to Judah as a "runner" and expressing concerns about just how exciting the matchup would be. "I know Amir wanted the Bradley fight, but who wouldn't? Bradley can't break an egg. A fight with 'Super' Judah is not a fight Amir wanted. Don't let him lie to you," Judah would comment shortly after both sides agreed to the fight.
Despite his comments on Twitter, however, Khan is evidently looking forward to facing Judah even though his first choice was WBC & WBO jr. welterweight champion Timothy Bradley. "Zab's a good fighter. He's strong, he's fit. All the stuff on Twitter is fun, but we're both professionals. It's just spicing things up," Khan remarked just a few days before both sides verbally agreed to the fight. "He was undisputed champion at 147 and now he's a champion at 140. If Bradley don't want me, I'm happy to take Judah on and beat him."
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