By Shaun Brown

Promoter Frank Warren has told Boxing Scene that British light heavyweight champion Frank Buglioni was offered a six-figure sum to fight his man Anthony Yarde later this year.

Yarde, unbeaten in 12 starts, ranked 8 by the WBO and making a name for himself on BT Sport, had been nominated by the British Boxing Board of Control to fight the Joe Gallagher trained Hosea Burton in a British title eliminator. The board also ordered Buglioni to fight Burton's stable mate Callum Johnson in his second title defence.

Warren told 'Scene that they have no interest in Yarde fighting Burton.

"I am not interested in Hosea Burton. I want my guy to fight the guy (Buglioni) who beat him."

Buglioni stopped Burton last December in a fight of the year candidate that saw an absorbing, all-action contest halted in the final round by referee Terry O'Connor.

Buglioni's maiden defence came against Ricky Summers earlier this month, notching up his 20th career win with a points victory.

Buglioni v Johnson is without a confirmed date at present, and Warren says why not let the best fight the best and let Buglioni fight Yarde?

"[It] doesn't have to be for the British title, we just want to see who's best. He's the best, Buglioni, on paper. We want the best fighting the best. Don't worry about the title. And it's big money for him, it's more money than he's going to get for fighting for Johnson and Burton again.

"He's got to win both those fights. And if beats Yarde he gets a WBO top 10 ranking. He shouldn't listen to any bull****. If you ask any boxing fan what fight they want to see it's Buglioni v Yarde."

Warren who has high hopes for Yarde isn't prepared to wait for a fight with Buglioni to happen. He believes that by the time it does eventually take place Yarde will have moved on to bigger and better things.

"These fights, even if we can't agree terms, go to purse bids. They're going to go on till late October, early November. So, by the time Yarde beats Burton and then fights Buglioni, and it ain't no given he beats Johnson. If he beats Johnson, by the time he fighs Yarde that will be 9-10 months time. My man will be in the top 3 with the WBO by then. I want him in that time to be fighting in an eliminator for the world title, not fighting in domestic fights."

Yarde, who will return to ring on September 16, is without an opponent after Warren told 'Scene that an unnamed American fighter pulled out late last night (July 26) despite the fight being "done and dusted".

"He (Yarde) will fight somebody who is ranked above Buglioni in the Boxrec rankings. That's where we're at. But as for Frank Buglioni, I don't understand where he's at. We've offered a huge purse bid, more than he got fighting for the world title (against Fedor Chudinov)."

Boxing Scene contacted Buglioni's promoter Eddie Hearn who told us: "He didn't offer Buglioni six figures."