Jarrell Miller could get a shot at Murat Gassiev's WBA heavyweight world title, with the Russian champion saying he is "interested" in facing the American.
The WBA has clarified that Miller is not currently a mandatory challenger for Gassiev, despite an earlier announcement suggesting otherwise. The 38-year-old still hopes to land a world title fight against the Russian champion.
Miller told Sky Sports a WBA title shot could be next after his points win over Cuban Lenier Pero in April, and Gassiev has confirmed he is open to the fight.
"Yes, if there is an offer regarding Jarrell Miller, we are of course interested," Gassiev told Sky Sports. "Furthermore, if Moses Itauma decides to pursue the IBF route, Jarrell Miller will become an official contender for my WBA title, making the fight inevitable for me."
"We are also highly interested in a fight with [WBC champion] Agit Kabayel. If a concrete agreement is reached and this fight begins to materialise, I would gladly sign up for a unification bout," he said. "It all comes down to the specifics - the offer, the terms, the timing, and the venue. We are targeting fights that make sense both financially and for my career progression."
Itauma clears the path
Moses Itauma is currently the WBA's No 1 contender, but the unbeaten British boxer will face Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF title on August 19. That should leave Miller, ranked No 2 by the WBA, next in line to face Gassiev.
Miller, nicknamed "Big Baby" and fighting out of Brooklyn, beat Kingsley Ibeh by split decision in a January fight that went viral after his hairpiece was knocked off his head in the second round.
A title shot would come more than seven years after Miller's scheduled 2019 fight against Anthony Joshua for the WBA, IBF and WBO titles was cancelled after Miller tested positive for banned substances.
Gassiev's rise to WBA champion
Gassiev, 32, became WBA world heavyweight champion after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the WBA, WBC and IBF belts in June. He defended the WBA title last month with a sixth-round stoppage win over Peter Kadiru in Moscow, and is now looking to add more belts.
"It's not just about Kabayel. To put it simply, I want any unification bout available," Gassiev told Sky Sports. "However, if defending my WBA title against a mandatory challenger becomes the immediate priority, that would be an excellent matchup for me and all boxing fans."
"In that scenario, we will gladly fulfil our mandatory obligations," he said. "That said, our ultimate goal remains a unification fight. The same applies to the winner of Dubois vs Wardley [for the WBO belt] or Itauma vs Hrgovic. We are genuinely interested in any available unification fights."
