WBO bantamweight champion John Riel Casimero and English challenger Paul Butler are set to clash on December 11 either in Dubai, United Arab Emirates or Liverpool, England.
New promotion Probellum, headed by long-time boxing promoter Richard Schaefer, won its first purse bid uncontested at $105,000 to hold the WBO bantamweight title match.
Purse Bid Bantamweight Casimero/Butler
Winner: Probellum
Amount: $105,000.00
Fight to be held Dec. 11, 2021 @ Dubai, UAE or Liverpool, U.K.
Left to right WBO Counsel Gustavo Olivieri, Esq., Probellum Authorized Representative Peter Rivera & WBO President Paco Valcárcel, Esq. pic.twitter.com/JZrhfu4qXw
— WBO (@WorldBoxingOrg) October 7, 2021
According to a report by BoxingScene, Casimero will be entitled to 75 percent of the winning bid ($78,750) as the reigning champion while Butler, as the mandatory challenger, will be getting the remaining 25 percent ($26,250).
Casimero, 31, will put his bantamweight belt on the line for the third time since capturing it last November 2019 as the WBO ordered the mandatory title fight last Sep. 22.
The Ormoc, Leyte native boxer is coming from a fresh split decision win over Cuban foe Guillermo Rigondeaux last month to improve at 31-4 record on top of 21 knockouts.
The 32-year-old Butler, a former IBF bantamweight champion, for his part, hopes to roll to his eighth straight win since November 2018 with the latest victory against Mexican foe Willibaldo Garcia via split decision in June to bag the vacant WBO International bantamweight title.
Butler's win against Garcia also propelled him to become the top contender against Casimero.