By Chris LaBate

Middleweight contender Sam Soliman is attempting to bust the upcoming defense of IBF champion Daniel Geale, scheduled for March 7th against Osumanu Adama in Tasmania.

Soliman's manager, Dan Stanley, believes Geale broke a fight agreement.

A very odd situation.

Soliman, Adama, Roman Karmazin and Eromsele Albert were selected by the IBF for a four-man tournament to name a mandatory challenger to Geale.

Soliman beat Albert and Adama beat Karmazin. The winners were set to face off in a final tourney bout.

Soliman's team were waiting for a promoter to bankroll the staging of the Adama fight.

Geale's manager, Garrie Francisco, says Soliman's team took way too long to stage the Adama fight, and his boxer couldn't wait any longer because the IBF requires a mandatory defense every 270 days.

"He had to fight the mandatory before February and they failed to complete the box-off before then, so the guy sitting in the number one spot becomes the mandatory contender. They're threatening an injunction within 14 days, as of last Thursday, and the IBF responded by saying you don't know what you're on about," Francisco told The Daily Telegraph.

Adama happened to be the number one contender, with Soliman in the second spot, which is the reason why Adama went to the head of the line. Soliman's manager is claiming an agreement was made for Geale to hang back until a winner was sorted between Soliman and Adama.

Geale's camp is confident the Adama fight will move forward as scheduled.