Former IBF/WBA middleweight champion Felix Sturm has reportedly turned down a clash with #1 IBF Hassan N’Dam for the vacant IBF middleweight title, according to Fightnews. Instead of Sturm fighting N’Dam for Jermain Taylor’s former IBF title, Sturm will be moving up in weight to the 168 pound division to try and get an all-German fight against WBO 168 pound champion Arthur Abraham, boxingnews24.com reports.
Abraham will first have a rematch against Paul Smith on February 21 in Berlin.
That fight makes sense because Abraham has already had three fights in a short period of time against popular German fighter Robert Stieglitz, and if he can get a fight against Sturm, then Abraham can be another German fighter to face.
“I will not fight at middleweight !!! That time is over,” Sturm said on his twitter.
