Golovkin, UFC schedule same date at Madison Square Garden

Two of the biggest fighting sports event in 2016 have been booked on the same night at the Madison Square Garden in New York. Unified middleweight titlist Gennady Golovkin is set to fight an unnamed opponent on that date for his voluntary title defense on Apr. 23, while UFC 198 is also penciled in on the aforementioned date.

According to Jake Donovan of Boxing Scene, K2 Promotions managing director Tom Loeffler has decided to reserve MSG for Golovkin’s next fight on Apr. 23. The undefeated Kazakh will take on a voluntary title defense before setting up a massive showdown in September against WBC middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.

“An opponent has yet to be secured for the unbeaten, unified middleweight titlist, although there’s a good chance he will return to the famed Madison Square Garden in New York City,” Donovan disclosed. “K2 Promotions – headed up by its tireless managing director Tom Loeffler - has placed a hold for an April 23 date at the venue.”

Meanwhile, the UFC will stage the first-ever major MMA event in New York, with UFC 198 also scheduled on Apr. 23, reports MMA Fighting. The event is rumoured to have a much-anticipated rematch between a returning Jon Jones and light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier.

"I think it would be a huge, huge fight," Jones’ manager Malki Kawa told the MMA Hour. "And to do it in New York State for the first time, you'd get to be a part of history. It'll go down in history -- the first sanctioned UFC fight to take place in New York State at MSG was headlined by who? I think that's something that Cormier really needs to take a look at and really consider."

However, UFC has plenty of obstacles to go through given that the professional MMA fighting is illegal in New York. According to Bleacher Report’s Jeremy Blotter, UFC has Anaheim’s Honda Center reserved in case New York would not change its stance against staging such sporting event.