Looks like the extension paid off. According to WBO chief Paco Valcarcel, light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev and mandatory challenger Anthony Yarde have come to terms for a bout in “Krusher’s” native Russia. Yarde’s promoter, Frank Warren, says that they will “have something to announce within the next week or so.”

As mentioned in that first article, Kathy Duva wants to hold the fight on June 1st in Chelyabinsk.

Yarde (18-0, 17 KO) figures to be a massive underdog despite Kovalev’s (33-3-1, 28 KO) apparent diminishment and recent knockout loss to Eleider Alvarez. The Englishman’s best wins came against Nikola Sjekloca and Travis Reeves, and though his power is legitimate, we know basically nothing about how he’d deal with adversity or heavy firepower coming back his way.

Still, respect to him for going into hostile territory. Plus, at 27 years old, he has time to rebound if things go south as expected.