After a false start, a bout between Sergey Kovalev and Meng Fanlong is finally coming to fruition.

The former light heavyweight champion Kovalev will meet the undefeated Fanlong in a 185-pound catchweight bout as a Triller Fight Club main event on May 14 at the Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, sources informed of the deal told BoxingScene.com on Thursday.

The original intent for the bout between the Russian and Chinese boxers was for it to be staged on March 12, but it never materialized. 

Kovalev (34-4-1, 29 KOs) will be making his cruiserweight debut in the contest and end a near 2 ½ layoff in the process. The former light heavyweight kingpin and pound-for-pound stalwart Kovalev has not fought since he suffered an 11th round knockout against Canelo Alvarez. 

Kovalev reportedly earned a whopping $12 million for the match. “Krusher” Kovalev’s career has curtailed since losing the fight, and his WBO light heavyweight title. 

The 38-year-old tested positive for synthetic testosterone, a banned substance, last January in an announced fight between then-unbeaten Uzbek upstart Bektemir Melikuziev. The Golden Boy promoted fight and DAZN main event bout was canceled as a result. Golden Boy owed Kovalev at least one more fight as part of an original deal that was struck to stage the Alvarez-Kovalev contest. 

As BoxingScene.com reported in January, the cancellation of Kovalev-Melikuziev caused a contract dispute with the Russian and the Oscar De La Hoya-led company. A ruling from an arbitrator on the issue is imminent.

Kovalev wants to continue his career moving forward as a cruiserweight, where his weight limit could reach up to 200 pounds. 

Kovalev manager Egis Klimas recently said his fighter is aiming for a cruiserweight title shot after a three or four fight run, and then retirement.

The 34-year-old Fanlong (17-0, 10 KOs) is a former IBF mandatory challenger to current IBF and WBC light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev.

The 2012 Olympian never was able to move forward with the bout with Beterbiev due to COVID-19 restrictions that forced the March 2020 fight at Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Canada to be postponed. 

Adam Deines eventually got Fanlong’s IBF honors against Beterviev and lost via TKO.

Fanlong last fought and scored a unanimous decision against Israel Duffus in October in a ten-round bout. 

Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, via email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or on www.ManoukAkopyan.com.