Boxing: Kell Brook to Defend IBF Title Against Diego Chaves in October

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Unbeaten IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook is set to return to action on Oct. 24 against Diego Chaves.

Brook will look for a third successful defense of his title, and he will do it in front of his hometown fans inside Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield, England. The bout will be broadcast on Sky Sports in the U.K.

Brook (35-0, 24 KOs) burst onto the global boxing scene when he toppled previously unbeaten Shawn Porter last August in California. Though he appeared to dominate Porter even after suffering a cut over his left eye early on, “Special K” only won via majority decision.

Brook has made two successful defenses of the IBF strap, first by stopping Ionut Dan Ion after four frames in March and then by knocking out Frankie Gavin in the sixth in May. Some in the boxing industry have grumbled that Brook took it easy after conquering Porter, and Chaves should provide a sturdy test.

Chaves (23-2-1, 19 KOs), a powerful Argentinean, is desperate to get his career back on the winning track. He’s coming off a split draw with Timothy Bradley in a fight that many felt Chaves deserved to win. Before that, he was disqualified in the ninth against Brandon Rios last August in a foul-plagued fight. A seemingly intentional elbow to Rios’ face was the final straw in a brawl that saw Rios docked a point for holding and Chaves for holding and headbutting.