Russian-born Robert Stieglitz will defend his WBO super middleweight (168 pounds) title against hard-punching Puerto Rican, Edison Miranda, on Jan. 9 in Bordelandhalle, Magdeburg, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany.Stieglitz, 28, earned the title in his last bout, when he dethroned previously unbeaten Hungarian-born southpaw Karoly Balzsay (21-1, 15 knockouts) with an 11th-round stoppage.
In victory, Stieglitz (36-2, 22 KOs) scored his fifth straight win, and his third knockout during that run.
Stieglitz has been stopped in each of his losses by Alejandro Berrio and Librado Andrade, in the third and eighth rounds of bouts in March 2007 and March 2008.
The 28-year-old, Colombian-born Miranda (33-4) is coming off of last month's first-round knockout over Francisco Sierra (20-3, 19 KOs) of Mexico.
A resident of Carolina, Puerto Rico, Miranda scored his 29th knockout to rebound from May's unanimous decision loss to former Olympic gold medalist Andrew Ward.
Sierra marked Miranda's third knockout in his past four fights, which includes the loss to Ward, who recently dethroned Denmark's Mikkel Kessler as WBA super middleweight champion.
Miranda has been beaten on three other occasions -- all by world champions.
In September 2006, Miranda lost a unanimous decision to Arthur Abraham, who successfully defended his IBF middleweight (160 pounds) title.
In May 2007, Miranda was stopped by Kelly Pavlik in the seventh round of their WBC title elimination bout.
Pavlik went on in his next fight to dethrone Jermain Taylor, stopping him in the seventh round for the WBC and WBO 160-pound belts. And in his June 2008 rematch with Abraham, this time at 168 pounds, Miranda was stopped in the fourth round.
Since losing to Ward, however, Miranda has switched trainers. In June, Miranda began working with Joe Goossen, brother of his promoter, Dan Goossen.
Miranda debuted with Joe Goossen in his corner against Sierra, of Mexico, who slipped to 20-3 with 19 knockouts.
Sierra had won nine straight by knockout since being stopped in December 2006 by Rigoberto Alverez in the 10th round.
