WBO light-heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly believes that a fight with Bernard Hopkins will be in the offing should he get past Sergey Kovalev next month.
Cleverly faces the unbeaten Russian on August 17 in Cardiff, and while he is focused on that encounter in three weeks' time, the Welshman has admitted that he is eager to fight the 48-year-old American.
The 26-year-old told reporters: "I believe that if I win this fight, that fight (with Hopkins) could certainly happen.
"Kovalev was actually mandatory challenger for Bernard Hopkins's world title belt.
"But hopefully by beating Kovalev, that leaves the door open for me to step in and eventually take on that fight."
A potential encounter may not take place until 2014 because of Hopkins defending his IBF title against Karo Murat in October.
