Arnold Khegai and Lerato Dlamini are no longer in each other's sight.

The Ringhas confirmed that Khegai will make his Top Rank debut on a July 13 card in Las Vegas. The bout comes in lieu of an IBF title eliminator versus South Africa's Dlamini, which is no longer in play.

An opponent was not yet named for Khegai, a Ukraine-born boxer of Korean descent now based in Los Angeles. What has been confirmed is his decision to instead travel the WBO route for his first career title shot.

TGB Promotions won an April 30 purse bidto gain promotional rights to the IBF-ordered eliminator. The bid was placed on behalf of Colin Nathan, Dlamini’s manager and head trainer. Interestingly, Nathan planned to stage the fight on July 13, but in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Khegai (21-1-1, 13 knockouts) was due to make $17,750 for a fight halfway around the world. That was taken into consideration when his team declined when it came time to sign.

“IBF purse bid split of 75/25 when Dlamini is not a champion made no sense for us to continue,” Sam Katkovski, Khegai’s manager, told The Ring. “Arnold is ranked #1 in WBO. We signed with Top Rank to deliver us a title shot. We have full confidence that will happen shortly. Arnold will return to the ring in July on ESPN.”

Khegai’s fight will land on a show headlined by unified IBF/WBO middleweight titlist Janibek Almikhanuly (15-0, 10 KOs).

Meanwhile, Dlamini’s search for a new opponent could lead back to an old rival.

The 30-year-old contender was so committed to the IBF process that he abandoned a secured rematch with Tomoki Kameda. The two were due to run it back on March 31 in Nagoya, Japan. Dlamini (20-2, 11 KOs) won their first fight via decision on October 7 in Tokyo.

A trap door clause in the contract called for Kameda Promotions—headed by Koki, Tomoki’s older brother—to gain IBF sanctioning for the fight. When that didn’t happen, Nathan used the loophole to walk away from the event.

Tomoki Kameda instead faced Kevin Villanueva, whom he stopped after five rounds. Interestingly, he remains the highest ranked available contender to next face Dlamini.

The IBF will send invitation letters for both camps to accept, at which point a new round of negotiations will be ordered. Should either side decline, the IBF will move on to the next highest ranked contender.

Jonathan Lopez (14-0, 10 KOs) is rated one spot below Kameda. The Eddy Reynoso-managed featherweight faces Edgar Ortega (14-2-2, 7 KOs) this Saturday on the Emanuel Navarrete-Denys Berinchyk undercard in San Diego.

Whatever comes of the IBF path will leave reigning titlist Luis Alberto Lopez (30-2, 17 knockouts),No. 1 at 126, with room for at least one voluntary defense.

Khegai has won five straight fights since a January 2020 defeat to then-unbeaten Stephen Fulton in Brooklyn, New York. The bout was a sanctioned WBO 122-pound title eliminator. Philadelphia's Fulton (21-1, 8 KOs),No. 1 at 122, went on to win the WBO and WBC titles at the weight.

The defeat was the last at 122 for Khegai, now a featherweight and who signed with Top Rank earlier this spring. His most recent victory came in a third-round knockout of Jon Martinez on January 27 in Barcelona, Spain.