Referee Gary Rosato waves an end to the fight between Sergio Mora and Daniel Jacobs. Photo: Naoki Fukuda.

Danny Jacobs held off on locking in an opponent for July 30 at Barclays Center as he surveyed his options. Jacobs’ team was trying to see if it could lure WBO middleweight titleholder Billy Joe Saunders in the ring later this summer, a situation that if it was carried out, would have removed him from July 30 in Brooklyn.

A match with Saunders has proved out of reach for the moment and a clash with former titleholder Andy Lee doesn’t appear to be on the horizon for July because of financial reasons. Consequently, Jacobs (31-1, 28 knockouts) and his team have settled on a workable alternative.

Jacobs now seems likely to face Sergio Mora on July 30 at Barclays Center in a Showtime-televised card in a rematch of their quick but exciting clash last August, a source close to the situation informed RingTV.com. Jacobs-Mora would serve as the co-feature to Leo Santa Cruz-Carl Frampton if it is made. While nothing has been finalized, Mora has emerged as the leading candidate and barring something unforeseen, will get the assignment against the 29-year-old Jacobs, the source said.

Mora (28-4-2, 9 KOs) jumped to the front of the line of possible opponents in recent weeks, the source said. But Jacobs, who holds a secondary middleweight title and is No. 2 on THE RING’s middleweight rankings, was waiting for feedback on a potential bout with Saunders before moving on. With a match with Saunders not workable, Jacobs’ team has turned their attention on Mora, a former junior middleweight titleholder whose first fight with Jacobs last August at Barclays Center was surprisingly full of fireworks.

Both fighters traded knockdowns in the first round before Jacobs decked Mora again in the second. When Mora couldn’t continue because of an injured right ankle, the bout was stopped and Jacobs was awarded a TKO victory that vaulted him to a matchup with Peter Quillin last December. Jacobs blitzed Quillin, stopping him in just 85 seconds. Mora was found to have a fractured ankle after the bout with Jacobs and has not fought since.