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Report: Jermell Charlo, Castano agree to 154-pound unification rematch

Edward A. Ornelas / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Charlo-Castano 2 is a go.

Junior middleweight titleholders Jermell Charlo and Brian Castano have agreed to terms for a rematch to crown the undisputed 154-pound champion, sources told ESPN's Mike Coppinger.

The fight will take place Feb. 26 at Houston's Toyota Center.

Mandatory challengers Tim Tszyu and Bakhram Murtazaliev are both expected to step aside and let the rematch happen, according to Coppinger.

Charlo and Castano's first title fight on July 18 was a memorable contest that ended in a split-decision draw. Both fighters had moments where they seemed ahead during that bout, and Castano later admitted he'd been hurt in the 10th round, according to BoxingScene's Keith Idec.

Charlo - owner of the IBF, WBA, and WBC junior middleweight belts - owns a lifetime 34-1-1 record with 18 knockout victories. The 31-year-old regained the WBC title by beating Tony Harrison in 2019, then added the other belts with a knockout win against Jeison Rosario in September 2020.

Castano, 32, is 17-0-2 as a professional with 12 victories coming via knockout. This will be the Argentinian's second defense of the WBO junior middleweight title he won this past February.

Whoever wins the rematch will become just the sixth fully unified champion in boxing's four-belt era, and the first unified champion at 154 pounds since Winky Wright in 2004.

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