Miguel Cotto will return to action in December but it will not be against Mexican boxing icon Juan Manuel Marquez.
Roc Nation Sports executive Michael Yormark confirmed to USA Today that Cotto's next fight is set on Dec. 3 in South Florida. The HBO PPV match will be Cotto's first fight since losing to Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in November last year.
Cotto, who will be returning to the junior middleweight division, had to cancel return plans earlier this year after failing to secure noteworthy opponents. He previously considered facing James Kirkland but the latter wanted a higher fight purse for the bout.
The Puerto Rican boxing superstar was also linked to Marquez. In fact, Marquez and Cotto's camps were in deep negotiation for the fight but did not find a common ground.
Miguel Cotto Promotions official Bryan Perez told ESPN that Cotto wanted to face Marquez. The two sides are on the same page when it comes to fight purse but they were not able to solve the weight issues.
"Miguel wanted the fight, but it was all about getting a deal for the right weight," Perez told ESPN. "Financial-wise, there were no problems making a deal. Usually making a big fight, it's financial when there are issues. That was not what happened with Marquez."
Cotto has been fighting over 152 pounds in recent years and wanted to stay in the same weight for the Marquez bout. However, Marquez remained firm on his stance and demanded that the fight should be at 147 pounds -- the full welterweight division limit. Perez revealed that Cotto was willing to go down to 150 but Marquez did not budge.
With Marquez out of the picture, USA Today added that Cotto could eventually face former welterweight world champion Timothy Bradley. Bradley might be the biggest name available for Cotto's next fight.
Bradley has not fought above 147 pounds in his career. However, the 32-year-old slugger previously expressed interest in moving up to the junior welterweight division. The California native, who owns a 33-2-1 record, has not fought since taking a unanimous decision loss to Manny Pacquiao in April.
Watch Cotto's career highlights in the video below.