Brian Castano, Erislandy Lara come to terms for title fight

The long-brewing matchup between WBA super welterweight champ Brian Castano and former “Super” champion Erislandy Lara is a done deal, according to Lara’s manager, Luis DeCubas Jr. He tells ESPN that they are still determining the date and location, but that it will take place “in the first quarter of next year.”

Castano (15-0, 11 KO), a stellar amateur who defeated the likes of Errol Spence Jr., Esquiva Falcao, and Sergiy Derevyanchenko before going pro, knocked out Emmanuel de Jesus for the interim belt in 2016. He defended it with a split decision over the very capable Michel Soro eight months later, after which Demetrius Andrade’s move to 160 allowed him to become the regular champ.

He was last seen stopping Cedric Vitu in March.

Lara (25-3-2, 14 KO) has not fought since a split decision loss to Jarrett Hurd in April. He had previously defended his title five times.