Gassiev, who currently holds the WBA’s secondary title, was scheduled to face Frenchman Yoka (15-3, 12 KOs) on July 11 at VTB Arena.

But the show’s IBA Pro organizers are now on the hunt for a new main event opponent after Yoka injured his back during training camp.

There is still a chance that the whole event will be rescheduled, but The Ring has learned that alternative opponents for Gassiev are being evaluated first.

And the most likely option is 40-year-old British heavyweight Joyce, who is already preparing to fight on the undercard. Joyce (16-4, 15 KOs) is currently scheduled to face undefeated Artem Suslenkov (14-0, 9 KOs) in a 10-round fight, but he could be upgraded to the main event. Meanwhile, a new opponent would also be arranged for Suslenkov.

“The Juggernaut” Joyce has not boxed since he lost on points to Filip Hrgovic on April 5 of last year in Manchester. The setback against the Croatian was the fourth in five fights for Joyce, a former interim world heavyweight champion.

But despite his miserable run of form, he could now be handed the chance to revive his career against 32-year-old Gassiev (33-2, 26 KOs), who has held the WBA "regular" belt since he stopped Kubrat Pulev on December 12 in Dubai.

There is also a realistic chance that any fight with Gassiev could be for the full WBA heavyweight title given that it was vacated by Oleksandr Usyk last week.

Gassiev is expected to be elevated to full champion imminently, making any fight on July 11 the first defense of his new belt.