Cruiserweight titleholder Marco Huck, of Germany, will defend his WBO belt against countryman Firat Arslan on Sept. 14 in Stuttgart, in a rematch of Huck’s unanimous victory in November of last year, Sauerland Events announced on Thursday.

“This is the fight that was on the wish lists of boxing fans all over,” said Frederick Ness, CEO of Sauerland Events. “Even the first meeting was to provide drama and excitement, [which is] why I’m glad…September 14 arrives at this World Cup duel again.”

For Arslan (33-6-2, 21 knockouts), who turns 43 on Sept. 28, the fight is a chance at redemption after losing to Huck (36-2-1, 25 KOs) by scores of 115-113, 115-113, and 1117-111.

“At that time, I considered myself a winner, so I would again have been world champion,” said Arslan, who dethroned Virgil Hill as WBA titleholder in November of 2007, and defended the belt once. “In the second attempt, I’m going to bet again all we can to bring me the championship belt. I’m sure that is for me a real home game.”

Arslan rebounded from the loss to Huck with a unanimous-decision win over Varol Vekiloglu.

Meanwhile, Huck is coming off last month’s majority-decision victory over Ola Afolabi, whom he had battled to a draw in May of 2012 before facing Arslan six months later.

Prior to his second fight with Afolabi, whom he had unanimously decisioned in December of 2009, Huck had fallen by disputed majority decision to unbeten heavyweight Alexander Povetkin in February of 2012.

“I understand that Firat was very disappointed. I myself had felt last year, after my fight against heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin, as a winner,” said Huck, who is 28. “But the judges saw it differently. That’s why it was clear to me that I grant Firat this rematch. I would have also done it if he had not become my mandatory challenger.”

Photo by Thomas Starke-Bongarts/Gettyimages

Lem Satterfield can be reached at [email protected]