BOXING Salford's Jamie Moore will now fight for the vacant European light-middleweight title after Zaurbek Baysangurov dramatically gave up the title.

Just minutes before purse bids for their showdown were due to be opened in Rome yesterday, the unbeaten 23-year-old Russian pulled out.

Moore, 29, is now expected to fight Italy's former IBF welterweight and European light-middleweight champion Michele Piccirillo.

Promoter Frank Maloney said: "We were confident of winning the purse bids, but Baysangurov was not confident of coming to England.

"Jamie was more than willing to go to Germany or Russia. That shows his fighting heart.

"We are now waiting for the EBU to name the next contender in rankings and we will enter a short period of private negotiations before the fight goes to purse offers.

"I'm confident that Jamie will get his chance in England, hopefully before the end of November."

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