LAS VEGAS -- Junior welterweight titlist Miguel Cotto will get a chance to win a belt in his second division when he makes his welterweight debut Dec. 2, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told ESPN.com.

Cotto, moving up because of recent struggles to make weight, faces fellow Puerto Rican Carlos Quintana at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J., for the 147-pound belt Ricky Hatton vacated last week in order to return to the junior welterweight division.

"We can't announce it officially until everything is signed, but everything has been agreed to by everybody," Arum said.

Arum is confident there will be no issues and is planning an Oct. 3 press conference in New York to announce the show.

"Everybody says they've agreed, but you don't know until it's signed," Arum said. "That being said, we're planning the press conference."

Also appearing on Showtime's final card of the year: welterweight titleholder Antonio Margarito defending against rugged Joshua Clottey.

Showtime and HBO will go head-to-head Dec. 2 in what is becoming an all-to-common occurrence for boxing fans. However, Showtime's card figures to pack more punch. HBO will counter-program with a card featuring middleweight contender Winky Wright, probably against Ike Quartey, who would move up from junior middleweight.

Making Cotto-Quintana work was not easy. Initially, plans were for Cotto (27-0, 22 KOs) to fight Oktay Urkal, the German contender who has been a mandatory challenger for ages. Urkal was due to face Quintana, who burst on the scene in June by outpointing hot prospect Joel "Love Child" Julio in an elimination bout.

However, Quintana (23-0, 18 KOs), a southpaw, was reluctant to step aside and allow Cotto to fight Urkal for the vacant belt, even with the promise of step-aside money and an assurance that he would get a shot at the winner. He wanted his title shot now.

"It is a wonderful opportunity for Carlos to step in the ring with an elite fighter like Miguel Cotto," said Ron Katz of Northeast Promotions, which handles Quintana. "When a boxer reaches a fight of this level he knows he has arrived, and we feel that Carlos will be up to the challenge and emerge victorious."

Urkal (37-3, 11 KOs) took Top Rank up on its offer. He'll get $125,000 to stand aside and let Cotto and Quintana duke it out with the contractual promise that he will face the winner next.

"I think people have been talking to Showtime about what a great fight the Quintana fight is," Arum said. "Some people were knocking the Urkal fight a little. My guys [matchmakers Bruce Trampler and Brad Goodman] say that Quintana is the kind of guy Cotto should be able to handle, but it's a competitive fight. It's a very good fight."

If Cotto and Margarito both win their fights Dec. 2, the obvious match would be for them to meet in a unification fight. "That's down the road," Arum said.
Cotto leaves behind the 140-pound division after six defenses, including a seventh-round knockout of Ricardo Torres in their epic battle in September 2005.

With Cotto set to relinquish his 140-pound belt, Torres will get another chance to fight for it. He'll face Mike Arnaoutis for the vacant title Nov. 18 on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao-Erik Morales III.

espn.com

Cotto Margarito to meet down the road?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??!!!!!!!!!!