Tony Bellew to face Julio Cesar Dos Santos in Liverpool

British cruiserweight Tony Bellew has been handed a fight with Brazil's Julio Cesar Dos Santos in Liverpool next month.

Bellew moved up to cruiserweight at the start of the year after failing in his attempt to win the WBC light-heavyweight title, and after stopping Valery Brudov in March, the 31-year-old will face a step-up in class on July 12 against the hard-hitting South American.

If Bellew can overcome Dos Santos, who has won 23 of his 28 contests by knockout, the Liverpudlian will face long-term rival Nathan Cleverly, providing that the Welshman can come through his match on the same bill.

Cleverly, who beat Sean Corbin on his cruiserweight debut in May, will face Argentina's Alejandro Valori, who will enter the bout with 15 wins from 19 encounters.