
Lundy will square off with John Delperdang in a 12-round lightweight bout on Dec. 30 at the BOOM Fitness Center in Cincinnati, promoter Jimmy Burchfield announced.
On Feb. 27, Lundy (26-6-1, 13 KOs) challenged junior welterweight world champion Terence Crawford but got knocked out in the fifth round at Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. Now Lundy, 32, of Philadelphia, is returning to the lightweight division, where he has been more effective.
"I'm ready to make a statement at 135 (pounds)," Lundy said. "I've been chasing a title down there, but had to jump to 140 because no one will fight me at 135. They know I'm a monster there. (In 2017), I will be a world champion at 135, no ifs, ands or buts about it."
Said Burchfield: "Starting Dec. 30 and going into 2017, we will fight at 135 pounds and fight for a world title. Hank deserves it. He hasn't backed down from anybody. [Raymundo] Beltran, [John] Molina, [Richar] Abril, [Thomas] Dulorme, Crawford, [Viktor] Postol -- no one in boxing has done that. We came up to 140 because no legitimate 135-pounder wanted to fight Hank. Now we're back in business."