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Martirosyan steps in to fight Golovkin on 3 weeks' notice

Joe Camporeale / USA TODAY Sports

Gennady Golovkin finally has an opponent.

The three-belt middleweight champion will fight Vanes Martirosyan at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. on May 5. Martirosyan agreed to take the fight on little more than two weeks' notice after Golovkin's previously scheduled rematch with Saul Alvarez was scrapped when "Canelo" tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

"Vanes Martirosyan is now the most important fight of my career," Golovkin said in a release, according to Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times. "He has my respect and I am training hard to defend my titles against him."

Martirosyan will carry a 36-3-1 record into the bout with the 37-0-1 Golovkin. The American last lost in a unanimous decision to Erislandy Lara in 2016. Golovkin's last fight was the draw with Alvarez in their September 2017 fight.

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