Joseph Parker will return to fight at the Vodafone Events Centre in Manukau against towering Ukrainian boxer Alexander Dimitrenko.
The 34-year-old will have a nine-centimetre height advantage and 18-centimetre reach advantage over Parker and holds an impressive 38-2 record.
The October 1 bout provides Parker with the perfect build-up for his mandatory IBF title fight against Anthony Joshua, who is of a similar bulky build to Dimitrenko.
"Dimitrenko is a guy who former World Champion, Shannon Briggs went out of his way to avoid earlier this year because of the risk," said Duco Events promoter, Dean Lonergan.
"Even casual boxing fans know that all Eastern Europeans in the heavyweight division know how to fight."
(Photosport)
Parker is coming off a knockout victory over Solomon Haumono last week that took his record to 20-0.
He last fought in Manukau in May when he beat saw off American Carlos Takam by decision.
Record: 38 wins (24 by knockout), two losses (one by knockout)
Height: 6'7" - 201cms
Reach: 83' - 211cms
Debut: Knockout win over Marcus Johnson in August, 2001.
(Reuters)
The Ukrainian is on a six-fight winning streak, although two of those fights were against boxers with 3-13 and 2-18 records, and is a former European heavyweight champion.
The orthodox boxer last tasted defeat in 2011, when he was knocked out (video below) by Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev, a boxer ranked two places higher than Parker on independent boxing website boxrec.com.
The 34-year-old has spent the majority of his career boxing in Europe, with only two of his fights taking place outside of Germany.
He was trained by the late Fritz Sdunek, who trained the Klitschko brothers, Wladamir and Vitali, into world champions.
Dimitrenko's first loss, after padding his record to 29-0, came against American boxer Eddie Chambers by majority decision in 2009.
His last stepped into the ring in January 2011 when he beat Drazan Janjanin by unanimous decision.
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