Sheffield Arena hosting October 20 showdown for mandatory position

The IBF have ordered Kell Brook to face Hector Saldivia on October 20 in a final eliminator for the mandatory position for the welterweight title at the Motorpoint Arena Sheffield, live on Sky Sports.

Brook maintained his unbeaten record with a hard fought win over Carson Jones in July and the Sheffield star is already back in training as he prepares for his biggest night yet against the dangerous Argentine with 32 KOs in his 41 wins. The winner of the clash will become the mandatory challenger for the title, which Randall Bailey defends against Devon Alexander in Texas on September 22.

Brook, 25, boxes at the Arena for the third time and has vowed to grasp the mandatory spot in style after admitting he struggled ahead of the Jones fight.

“I proved I have massive heart against Carson,” said Brook. “I said after the fight that there needs to be an improvement and on October 20 my fans are going to see me at my very best.”

Brook’s promoter Eddie Hearn added: “We have a new team in place that is going to ensure Kell will hit new heights in this fight. It was always our goal to secure a mandatory position and now we are just one fight away from making that happen.”

Tickets for Betfair’s ‘This Is It’ headlined by Kell Brook vs. Hector Saldivia are on sale at 9am Tuesday August 7 priced at £30, £40, £60 and £100 from the Motorpoint Arena Sheffield box office at www.motorpointarenasheffield.co.uk and 0114 256 5656.

VIP packages priced £150 are exclusively available from Matchroom Sport at www.matchroomboxing.com and 01277 359900.