Joseph Parker says negotiations to fight Anthony Joshua are "going good" and that the pair could meet in the ring as early as March.
Parker (24-0, 18 KOs), who is currently the WBO world heavyweight champion, beat Hughie Fury in his debut U.K. performance in September, and the New Zealand boxer is keen to come back to face WBA and IBF belt holder Joshua.
"I think the Joshua fight can go ahead early next year when both teams are locked in and happy," Parker told ESPN. "When we can find a free date, a time in March, then we can definitely make it happen.
"Negotiations are going good. I think we're close to locking something in. They're stuck at 30 percent [of the split], we're stuck at 35, so it's just finding the middle ground.
"We'll take 35 percent, which means Joshua will take 65, which is nearly double me, so I think that's a fair deal because he's the bigger draw card and he has two belts and I have one. I think that's reasonable and fair.
"I think we're very close. I'm excited as it's a chance to showcase my skills in the U.K. more."
Parker said he believes that a potential fight with Joshua could be bigger than the Brit's impressive win over Wladimir Klitschko in April.
"The Klitschko-Joshua fight was a great fight," Parker said. "A legend and an up-and-coming fighter going at it. It was a great fight for all of us to see.
"But there's just something special about a unification fight. We haven't had a unified champion for a while, and there's something special about a unification. I have a good feeling about this."