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Golovkin bleeds too, says confident Matthew Macklin as world title showdown confirmed

The pair face off in Connecticut this summer.

MATTHEW MACKLIN WILL have a third shot at a world title when he takes on WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin on 29 June, it has been confirmed.

The 30-year-old Tipperary fighter has previously come up short against Felix Sturm and Sergio Martinez.

But the Birmingham-based Macklin will hope three is the lucky number when he walks out for another big night against the intimidating Kazakh in Mashantucket, Connecticut.

โ€œGolovkin hasnโ€™t put a foot wrong yet as a pro,โ€ Macklin said. โ€œHeโ€™s destroyed pretty much everyone and, as a consequence, heโ€™s probably the most hyped fighter in the sport right now.

โ€œPeople have made him out to be this monster, but he bleeds red just like everyone else and, for the first time in his career, heโ€™s going to be stepping into the ring against a big, strong, proper world-class middleweight.

โ€œWhen you compare my last three opponents to Golovkinโ€™s last three opponents, itโ€™s clear who the proven entity is, going into this fight. I got robbed against Felix Sturm in Germany, it was nip and tuck between me and Sergio Martinez until I got caught in the eleventh, and last time out, I blew away Joachim Alcine inside a round โ€“ a former world champ who was coming off a career-best win.โ€

Macklin is currently ranked #3 by the WBC, #11 by the WBA, and #14 by the IBF.

โ€œGolovkin-Macklin is one of the very best fights that can be made in the middleweight division and all of boxing,โ€ said Macklinโ€™s promoter, Lou DiBella. โ€œIt figures to be a barnburner and we are thrilled that Matthew is getting another deserved opportunity at a world title.โ€

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