Kovalev vs Mohammedi officially announced, moved back to July 25

Sergey Kovalev's upcoming fight with Nadjib Mohammedi was officially announced with a press conference today in Los Angeles, and the fight has been moved back a week, now to be held on July 25, still at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Kovalev (27-0-1, 24 KO) is facing his IBF mandatory challenger in Mohammedi (37-3, 23 KO), who has stepped aside for a while now. Mohammedi won his mandatory position against Anatoliy Dudchenko back when Bernard Hopkins still held the belt, but Hopkins lost it to Kovalev, who now holds the IBF, WBA (also win in the Hopkins fight), and WBO belts at 175 pounds.

Kovalev also made a defense in March, beating a game Jean Pascal in an exciting fight in Montreal. Now, Mohammedi gets his chance, however slight it may be.

Mohammedi, 30, is a French fighter who has won 13 straight fights. He lost to Nathan Cleverly in 2010 in a competitive bout, then was stopped in two by Dmitry Sukhotsky in 2011, his most recent defeat.

The fight will be Kovalev's first as a headliner in Las Vegas. He last fought in the city in 2011, when he was an unknown prospect, knocking out Douglas Otieno Okola in two rounds. Kovalev will hold camp in California, where he now lives, with trainer John David Jackson coming in from Florida to accommodate the fighter.