By Edward Chaykovsky

Australian super middleweight contender Rohan Murdock (18-1) has missed out on a lucrative opportunity. The boxer was being lined up to face Andre Ward as part of the Miguel Cotto-Saul Alvarez HBO Pay-Per-View on November 21 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

The boxer's team, CDL Boxing, have informed local reporters that the Nevada State Athletic Commission refused to sanction the fight, according to the Western Australian.

Murdock is ranked a number 6 by the WBO, but he's never come close to fighting anybody on Ward's level - and the fight was going to take place at the light heavyweight limit of 175-pounds. His purse was not revealed, but local reporters are speculating Murdock would have earned in the region of $250,000-$300,000.

Murdock (18-1) is now likely going to fight on November 21 back home.

Ward is on the hunt for a new opponent and he will still appear as the co-featured attraction to the pay-per-view. The bout is going to be his first outing as part of a three fight agreement with HBO. That agreement includes a 2016 year-end showdown with WBO/WBA/IBF light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev.