British heavyweight Anthony Joshua could face IBF champion Charles Martin on April 9 after it was revealed that promoter Eddie Hearn is in talks regarding a possible bout.

Joshua is ranked near the top of three of the four world governing bodies and he had been expected to feature in an eliminator at London's O2 Arena in just under two months' time.

However, it now appears that he could get his first opportunity to compete for a world title after Hearn revealed that the two camps were currently involved in discussions for the fight to headline a bumper card.

Hearn has stressed that a deal is not near a conclusion, but with the Matchroom Sport representative keen to finalise the schedule for an event that takes place in eight-and-a-half weeks, a swift decision is expected.

Joshua has won all 15 of his outings in the professional ranks by knockout, while Martin, who won the belt in January after Vyacheslav Glazkov suffered a serious knee injury in the third round, is undefeated in 24 bouts.