Billy Joe Saunders to defend WBO middleweight title against Martin Murray on 14 April

Billy Joe Saunders has gained 12 of his 26 victories inside the distance

Billy Joe Saunders will aim to make the fourth defence of his WBO middleweight title against fellow Englishman Martin Murray on 14 April.

Saunders, 28, has won all 26 of his professional contests, while 35-year-old Murray will be aiming to win a world belt at the fifth attempt.

The fight is expected to take place at London's O2 Arena.

Terry Flanagan, 28, will fight American Maurice Hooker, 28, for the WBO light-welterweight belt on the same card.

Saunders last fought in December with a points win over Canadian David Lemieux and wants to fight IBF, IBO, WBA and WBC title holder Gennady Golovkin or Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, who are set for a rematch later this year after drawing in September.

"Martin Murray is a good fighter and I have got the greatest respect for him. But he's in the way of what I'm aiming for this year and that is to become undisputed middleweight world champion," said Saunders.

Murray has lost in middleweight world title clashes against Felix Sturm, Sergio Martinez and Golovkin, and a super-middleweight world title bout against Arthur Abraham.

"I rate Billy Joe as a fighter, he's one of slickest out there and he is coming off of a great win and will be very confident," added Murray, who has won 36 of 41 fights. "I'm very confident, this is my time to become world champion, as it's the only thing I have left to do."

Terry Flanagan has won all 33 of his bouts, but not fought since a points win over Russia's Petr Petrov in April

Flanagan won the WBO lightweight title in July 2015 and made five successful defences, but has opted to move up a weight to light-welterweight and hopes to take the vacant belt.

"I'm very confident I'll be able to deal with anything Hooker throws at me to become a two-weight world champion," said the Manchester-based fighter.

"Winning this fight will prove I'm a legitimate 140lb fighter and I'll be looking to unify the belts later in the year."