HBO Sports closes out 2017 with a high-stakes middleweight slugfest from the boxing hotbed of Quebec when WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: BILLY JOE SAUNDERS VS. DAVID LEMIEUX AND ANTOINE DOUGLAS VS. GARY O’SULLIVAN AND CLETUS SELDIN VS. YVES ULYSSE JR. is seen SATURDAY, DEC. 16 at 9:40 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from Place Bell in Laval, Quebec. The HBO Sports team will call all the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

            The fights will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and affiliate portals.

            The main event features a 160-pound title showdown, as undefeated middleweight champ Billy Joe Saunders (25-0, 12 KOs) brings his crown and colorful personality across the Atlantic for a scheduled 12-round bout with Montreal brawler David Lemieux (38-3, 33 KOs). The 28-year-old Saunders, who hails from the UK, won his title belt from Andy Lee in 2015 and is making his first appearance outside his country.

            Lemieux, 28, is a thunderous puncher who has thrilled fans with his style and power.  Accepting every challenge, he scored what some observers consider to be a candidate for Knockout of the Year last March when he finished Curtis Stevens in the third round of a fight seen on HBO.

            The co-feature is a ten-round middleweight battle between Antoine Douglas (22-1-1, 16 KOs) and Gary O’Sullivan (26-2, 18 KOs).  Douglas, 25, hails from Burke, Va., while the 33-year-old O’Sullivan, from Cork, Ireland, is making his HBO debut.  Both fighters are fighting professionally in Canada for the first time.

            The opening bout is an intriguing super lightweight ten-round showdown, as Brooklyn’s Cletus Seldin (21-0, 17 KOs), fresh off a stunning KO win on Nov. 11, makes a quick turnaround to face Montreal’s Yves Ulysse Jr. (14-1, 9 KOs).  Seldin, 31, has fought 17 of his 21 pro bouts on Long Island; Ulysse Jr., 29, looks to raise his profile in the 140-pound division.

            The tripleheader will mark the fifth Saturday in six weeks that HBO has presented live boxing, dating back to Nov. 11, showcasing a wide range of hungry young fighters, emerging stars and world-class champions.

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            All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.