Updated

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Seventeen years after losing their first fight, Bernard Hopkins is to finally get his chance for revenge on fellow American Roy Jones Jr in April.

"A rematch with Roy has been in the back of my mind for a long time and it's finally going to happen," long-time middleweight champion Hopkins, 45, who successfully moved up to light-heavyweight in his 40s, said in a statement.

A rematch had long be spoken of but after Jones suffered a first round knock-out defeat by Australian Danny Green in December there were fears it would not take place.

"Now I can finally terminate the Executioner (Hopkins' nickname) once and for all," said Jones, who has lost five of his last 10 bouts.

(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Salvo, North Carolina, Editing by Patrick Johnston)