By Keith Idec

Promoter Yvon Michel announced Thursday that the May 19 light heavyweight title bout between champion Adonis Stevenson and challenger Badou Jack will take place at Bell Centre in Montreal.

Videotron Centre in Quebec City and an undisclosed venue in Toronto also were considered, according to what Michel told ESPN.com. Showtime will televise the Stevenson-Jack bout as part of a split-site telecast that’ll also feature WBA/WBC welterweight champ Keith Thurman against an undetermined opponent from Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

The 40-year-old Stevenson (29-1, 24 KOs) will make his ninth defense of the WBC 175-pound championship against Las Vegas’ Jack (22-1-2, 13 KOs), a former WBC super middleweight champ and ex-WBA light heavyweight title-holder.

The Haitian-born, Quebec-based Stevenson will fight at Bell Centre for the 12th time in his 11-year pro career. Thirteen of his past 14 fights have been held either at Bell Centre, the home arena of the NHL’s Canadiens, or Videotron Centre.

“Stevenson could make history in Canadian boxing by equaling the mark of [Lucian] Bute with a ninth successful defense of his world title,” Bernard Barre, vice president of operations for Group Yvon Michel, said in a press release. “Jack should stay away from the terrifying Stevenson left.”

Stevenson will end nearly a one-year layoff when he battles Jack. The strong southapw made his last title defense June 3, when Stevenson demolished Poland’s Andrzej Fonfara (29-5, 17 KOs, 1 NC) by second-round knockout in their rematch at Bell Centre.

Jack most recently stopped Wales’ Nathan Cleverly (30-4, 16 KOs) in the fifth round to win the WBA 175-pound championship on the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Conor McGregor undercard August 26 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.