A bout originally scheduled for May 25 between former IBF super middleweight titleholder Lucian Bute and ex-light heavyweight beltholder Jean Pascal, postponed due to an injury to Bute’s left hand, will take place on Jan. 18 at Bell Centre in Montreal, according to Pascal’s promoter, Yvon Michel.

Both boxers have “signed contracts” for the fight, said Michel. David Messier of InterBox is the promoter for Bute (31-1, 24 knockouts) , who is rising into the 175-pound division to face Pascal (27-2-1, 16 KOs), according to Michel.

Bute is coming off a unanimous-decision victory over previously unbeaten Denis Grachev last November, which helped him to rebound from last May’s fifth-round knockout loss to Carl Froch that cost him his IBF title.

Pascal is coming off a unanimous-decision triumph over Aleksy Kuziemski last December after losing to Bernard Hopkins in May of 2011.

Lem Satterfield can be reached at [email protected]