Canelo: I'm facing one of the most feared champions of recent years

As previously announced by BoxingScene.com, middleweight king Canelo Alvarez will make a leap into two divisions in the weight classes to face WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev on Friday.

Canelo, 29, was the first to announce November 2 in Las Vegas in a short post on Twitter. The DAZN online streaming service has also confirmed the fight.

Canelo (52-1-2, 35 KOs) had never fought in light heavyweights yet, but he battled up to the middleweight mark in December, when he swept Rocky Fielding to win the WBA's "regular" world title.

Last May, he returned to average weight to win a twelve-round decision against Daniel Jacobs in a unification contest.

Canelo and Kovalev, 36, were in talks earlier this year to fight in October, but only for both parties to be unable to reach an agreement.

Canelo was stripped of his International Boxing Federation belt after refusing to accept a fight against his mandatory opponent Sergey Derevyanchenko.

In his comments to BoxingScene Friday, Alvarez said he wanted to rise to the challenge of facing Kovalev, naturally taller, who retained his title with the eighth-final day of Englishman Anthony Yarde at A match in Russia.

"The second phase of my career is continuing exactly as we had planned, which is why we continue to make great fights to enter the boxing history books," said Canelo . "That's also why I decided to skip two weight classes against one of the most feared champions of recent years.

"Kovalev is a dangerous puncher, and he is naturally the greatest of men, but that's the kind of challenge and risk that I love to face."