Monday 10 October 2016 18:36, UK
Jamie McDonnell is happy to take a unification fight with Lee Haskins if he gets past Liborio Solis in Monte Carlo.
The WBA world bantamweight champion will be making the fifth defence of his title out in Monaco, on November 12, live on Sky Sports.
McDonnell (28-2-1-KO13) was hoping to face Rau'shee Warren, who owns the WBA's Super title at 118lbs, after the governing body ordered a showdown to leave them with only one official world champion.
"It should've been against Rau'shee Warren but he has his circumstances, which I call 'bottling it', so now we are fighting Solis," he told Sky Sports.
"I'm not sure if Eddie (Hearn) put the fight to them or what, but there is Lee Haskins or we might move up."
Promoter Hearn says terms were agreed but Warren "didn't want the fight in Europe" and even though he was happy to see McDonnell face him out in America, "no dates were offered".
It means the fight against Solis (25-4-1-KO11) is a voluntary defence, with the WBA showdown possibly coming in the new year. But the Doncaster fighter has not ruled out gaining revenge over the current IBF bantamweight champion Haskins, who was the last fighter to beat him back in 2008.
"It would probably be Lee Haskins because he holds that win over me," he said when asked who he would like to fight after November 12.
"Warren's talking about early next year but, like I say, I will get this fight in Monaco out of the way, then sit back and enjoy Christmas and see if we want to stay at bantamweight or move up."
This will be McDonnell's third world title defence on foreign soil following back-to-back wins over Japan's Tomoki Kameda in America in 2015.
Venezuelan Solis beat another of the Kameda brothers, Dani, as a super-flyweight world champion three years ago and is looking to become a two-weight world champion at the second attempt.
He pushed WBC bantamweight boss Shinsuke Yamanaka all the way in March, but McDonnell is confident of extending his own eight-year unbeaten record in Monte Carlo.
"It's perfect," he said. "I think I am going to stay out there for two days after and soak it all up. Hopefully I can get a good win.
"I've fought a few times abroad so it doesn't faze me. I am just really looking forward to it."
Watch McDonnell's gym-mate Tony Bellew defend his WBC cruiserweight world title against BJ Flores on Saturday night, from 8.00pm, on Sky Sports 2.
