A target date of Dec. 10 has remained the favored destination point for the middleweight championship between Gennady Golovkin and Danny Jacobs.

But Jacobs won’t fight Golovkin on Dec. 10, Jacobs’ trainer Andre Rozier told RingTV.com on Tuesday. It’s simply not enough time for Jacobs to prepare with the sides still trying to broker a deal. The fight is now being planned for early 2017, the trainer said.

“From my fighter’s point of view, it’s not going to happen,” Rozier told THE RING of Dec. 10. “We haven’t really even started to gear up (for training) and we’re talking about six weeks to get it all together. Honestly, from my standpoint, I wouldn’t let him fight on Dec. 10. That’s just the bottom line. I would tell them we’re not fighting Dec. 10. It’s not enough time to prepare.”

Rozier would need “at least 10 to 12 weeks” for Jacobs, who holds a secondary title and is Golovkin’s WBA mandatory, to get ready. The plan is to send Jacobs away to camp. Jacobs is in the gym just staying in shape until word comes of a deal but he’s also of the mindset the bout won’t happen on Dec. 10, Rozier said. Another source also indicated the fight is now being sketched for the first quarter of 2017. Golovkin promoter Tom Loeffler, Jacobs advisor Keith Connolly and Golovkin trainer Abel Sanchez all didn’t immediately return calls for comment.

Rozier’s remarks are the latest twist in a negotiation that has been anything but easy. The two sides apparently have until Friday to agree to terms or a purse bid will be ordered, though no formal announcement has been made by the WBA. Loeffler has spoken of trying to reach a deal with Al Haymon, who handles Jacobs, before the purse bid process starts, especially since the WBA recently rejected Jacobs’ attempt to increase the percentage purse split from 75-25 in favor of Golovkin to 60-40.

Rozier thinks the fight would be better served if it happens in early 2017, anyway, from a promotional standpoint. “Why is it being rushed? It’s a huge event,” he said. “It would be ludicrous to think it would (happen Dec. 10). It’s not a club show.”

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