According to the official Universum Box-Promotion web site, Klaus-Peter Kohl said the deadline for the bout was moved to September at the request of Valuev’s promoters, Team Sauerland.

Valuev, dubbed the Russian Giant, lost his title bout to Ruslan "White Tyson" Chagaev of Uzbekistan in April of 2007, suffering his only defeat to date. The Russian and the Uzbek later scheduled a rematch, first for May and then for July of 2008, but they did not take place due to Chagaev’s injury and he was declared champion in recess.

Valuev reclaimed his WBA belt in August 2008 after defeating two-time WBA heavyweight champion John Ruiz, and then retained his title by beating four-time champion Evander Holyfield of the United States last December.

The 30-year-old Uzbek boxer (25-0, 17KOs) returned to professional boxing last month to face Puerto-Rican Carl Davis Drumond (26-1, 20 KOs) in Mecklenburg, Germany. He defeated the previously unbeaten Puerto-Rican in a six round technical decision.