Carl Frampton says he's "delighted" to have the chance to win a third world boxing title in his home city of Belfast this summer.
Promoter Frank Warren has announced that a deal is now in place for "The Jackal" to face reigning WBO super-featherweight champion Jamel Herring.
Windsor Park is the likely venue for the bout, which is pencilled in for June 13th, though plans could change due to the COVID-19 outbreak and Warren expects more news "soon".
“This is huge. To be the challenger fighting for a world title at home is just great,” former featherweight and junior featherweight champion Frampton said of the deal being reached.
“When it was first talked about and hinted at after I’d beaten Tyler McCreary in my last fight, I didn’t imagine it’d be in Belfast!
“I’m delighted to be fighting in my city and hopefully once the coronavirus madness has all passed, we can get it sealed and have the fight.”
“It’s good to have a small bit of good news with this fight being agreed, but there are more important things than boxing. People’s health is more important than me and Herring having a fight so it’s important we do this right.”
Former US Olympian Herring says there's a respecful rivalry between the two fighters:
“I like Carl, I’m a fan, and this is just business. There’s never been any ill will towards him and he’s been respectable to me in return.
“It’s like how Kobe Bryant and LeBron James used to compete against each other.
“They were very competitive, but they never had bad blood, so I feel that I don’t have to be nasty or cruel towards Carl.
“I’m hungry and I want to keep proving that I’m one of the best junior lightweights in the world.”
