IBF world heavyweight champion Vladimir Klitschko will fight WBO champion Sultan Ibragimov in a unification bout at Madison Square Garden on February 23 next year.

"After all these intensive negotiations, I really look forward to this unification bout," Klitschko said in a statement released by his own management company.

"That's what people all over the world want to see."

The 31-year-old Ukrainian Klitschko was WBO champion from 2000 to 2003. He won the IBF title from Chris Byrd in 2006 and he has staged three successful defences.

Russia's Ibragimov, 32, won the WBO title against Shannon Briggs in June this year and defended it in October against Evander Holyfield.

Whoever wins in February will still not be able to lay claim to the title of undisputed world champion.

Ruslan Chagaev, of Uzbekistan, holds the WBA belt, while Oleg Maskaev, of Russia, will fight Nigeria's interim champion Samuel Peter for the WBC title in February. Klitschko's brother Vitali is hoping for a crack at the winner of that fight.

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