• Middleweight

Golovkin's next defence against Adama

Gennady Golovkin stopped Curtis Stevens in the eighth round last month © Getty Images

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Middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin, who scored knockouts in all four of his 2013 title defences, will get the new year rolling on February 1 when he faces Osumanu Adama in Monte Carlo.

Golovkin will make the 10th defence of his 160-pound world title when he faces Adama at the Casino de Monte-Carlo. The fight will be Golovkin's second in the Mediterranean gambling capital in the past year. In March, Golovkin (28-0, 25 KOs) scored a massive third-round knockout of Japan's Nobuhiro Ishida in one of the leading knockout of the year candidates.

"Gennady is committed to staying active and fighting the toughest opponents willing to get in the ring with him," K2 Promotions managing director Tom Loeffler said. "He's anxious to make a quick return to the ring and looking forward to the challenge of defending his [title]."

Four of Golovkin's last five fights have been in the United States because of the close relationship he's forged with HBO. But because HBO haven't been able to accommodate all of his fights in their busy schedule, Golovkin went overseas for the Ishida fight and will do so again for the Adama fight, which HBO is not planning to air at this point. American television plans have not yet been determined, Loeffler told ESPN.

"I'm very happy to return to Monte Carlo and excited to face Adama," said Golovkin, who is coming off an eighth-round knockout of Curtis Stevens in a dominant performance on November 2 in New York. "I know he's a very tough opponent and I'm looking forward to putting on another great performance for the fans in Monte Carlo and those watching around the world."

Adama (22-3, 16 KOs), 32, a native of Ghana who lives in Chicago, will be getting his second shot at a world title. In March 2012, he travelled to Australia and lost a unanimous decision challenging then-titleholder Daniel Geale.

Adama has won two fights in a row since losing to Geale and is looking forward to another title shot.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for me to challenge boxing's best," Adama said. "I've already begun training and I will bring the titles with me back to Chicago."

If Golovkin, 31, a native of Kazakhstan who lives in Germany and trains in the United States, defeats Adama, he is slated to return to the U.S. for an April 26 HBO fight.

"We'd try to secure the biggest name possible for that one," Loeffler said, "but first Gennady has to get by Adama, who is a very tough opponent."

Golovkin has scored 15 consecutive knockouts, owns the highest knockout percentage (89 percent) of any active titleholder in boxing.

This article originally appeared on ESPN.com
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