Tuesday 19 May 2015 15:37, UK
Scott Quigg will defend his world super-bantamweight title against Kiko Martinez on July 18 as he bids to send out a warning message to Carl Frampton.
Bury's WBA champion has not fought since damaging his right hand in victory over Japan's Hidenori Otake in November.
But a summer return was always the target, and Quigg will be back on home turf at the Manchester Arena.
His opponent is a former world champion in Martinez, the tough Spaniard whose only two defeats in more than five years have come against Quigg's long-term rival Carl Frampton.
Talks over a unification contest with Frampton have failed to yield agreement, and the IBF champ earlier this year turned down Matchroom's £1.5m offer to make the fight happen.
Quigg is focused on the task in hand and insists his performance against Martinez will be one Frampton will not be able to ignore.
“The hands are feeling good. It did me good the rest I have had out of the gym and I am looking forward to the 18th. I have got a tough fight on my hands but it is one I am very confident of winning," Quigg said
“This is definitely going to be the toughest fight of my career. People know what Kiko Martinez brings. He brings pressure, he’s a big puncher and he’s a real live threat and a real dangerous opponent.
"We tried making the biggest fights in the division with Santa Cruz [and] offering Carl Frampton £1.5m. They didn’t materialise so I spoke to Eddie and this was the toughest fight we could have got at this moment. These are the fights that I want and it is one I am really looking forward to fighting.
“I will win this fight. I know it is going to be a tough fight. I am going to put in a performance. You are going to get comparisons with the performance. That’s just going to build the [Carl Frampton] fight even more.
"Once I do a better job I don’t think he can climb under that rock a bit more and keep hiding.”
