Light heavyweight contender Callum Johnson (17-1, 12 KOs) is hoping to secure another world title shot, should he defeat Sean Monaghan on March 9th in Verona, New York.

In October, Johnson was a big underdog in challenging feared IBF champion Artur Beterbiev in Chicago.

Johnson dropped and hurt the champion, but Beterbiev came firing back to blast the British contender out in the fourth round.

Johnson is aiming for another crack at Beterbiev or a shot at WBA world champion Dmitry Bivol.

Beterbiev has since jumped ship from streaming service DAZN, and accepted a deal with Top Rank to fight on ESPN.

On the other hand, Bivol has signed a multi-fight deal with DAZN, and appears on the main event of the same card as Johnson. He faces hard puncher Joe Smith.

Should Bivol and Johnson win, they could very well face each other later in the year.

“He was given huge credit for stepping in to fight somebody that nobody was willing to fight. He acquitted himself well [considering] the lack of rounds there had been before it. I think what we will get with Sean Monaghan is we will get rounds and it’ll be a good fight, provided we come through that okay I think that’s what Callum Johnson will want next: another opportunity at the world title,” his trainer and manager, Joe Gallagher told .

“Here he is now going into another big fight, a good opportunity. Monaghan’s only lost to two good kids; Marcus Browne and we’ve seen what he did to Badou Jack, and Sullivan Barrera. He’s not idiot, he’s a good fighter and it’s a good evenly matched fight and I think if Callum Johnson wins this he puts himself in the picture for another shot at the world title. I know he’s mad to have a rematch with Artur Beterbiev but [Dmitry] Bivol may be one that might present itself instead.”