Michael Conlan: Belfast fighter to return to ring against Ionut Baluta in London on 30 April
- Published
Olympic bronze medallist Michael Conlan has won his opening 14 professional fights
Belfast boxer Michael Conlan will return to the ring against Romania's Ionut Baluta in London on 30 April.
The 12-round bout will see unbeaten Conlan, 29, making his debut at super-bantamweight after opting to move down from the featherweight division.
Victory for Conlan will put him in line for a world title shot.
Baluta, 27, has won 14 of his 16 contests including a victory over Ireland's former IBF super-bantamweight champion TJ Doheny.
Conlan, who knocked out former world title challenger Sofiane Takoucht in his last featherweight bout in August to record a 14th straight professional win, is ranked number one by the WBO and eight by the WBA in the super-bantamweight division.
The bout at the Copper Box Arena will be chief support contest on the bill headlined by South African Moruti Mthalane's IBF flyweight title defence against Londoner Sunny Edwards.
Conlan said he was "very excited" at the prospect of getting back into the ring after he had to pull out of a scheduled world title eliminator against Isaac Dogboe last December because of an ankle injury.
"I know how tough of a fighter Baluta is but I've been training hard since shortly after my last win in August and will be well prepared for victory," said the 2012 Olympic medallist.
"I'm looking forward to putting on a great show and can't wait to get back in the ring."
Conlan added that he has been "firing on all cylinder in training" and believes his move down in weight had made him an ever stronger force.
"I'm making 122 pounds very comfortably. I'm absolutely massive for the weight in height (at five foot seven inches) but even my physical size will be something that's looked upon."
Baluta's career record also includes a victory over a second Irishman in Conlan's former Olympic team-mate David Oliver Joyce but the Belfastman insists that Romanian will be vanquished in London.
"He'll be going for that third time lucky against the Irish but I don't think it's going to happen. I think I'll go in there and I'll blitz him."
Top Rank boss Bob Arum has indicated that WBO super-bantamweight champion Stephen Fulton is Conlan's most likely world title opponent in the autumn while the Belfast man could have a summer fight on home turf prior to that.