Hannah Rankin: Scottish light-middleweight to fight for vacant WBC title in Manchester

Hannah Rankin dominated in a points victory over American Logan Holler in March

Scotland's Hannah Rankin will fight for the vacant WBC light-middleweight world title in Manchester on 18 November.

The 33-year-old will face Slovenia's Ema Kozin, 24, at the AO Arena.

Rankin is a former WBA light-middleweight champion and has won 13 fights and lost six since turning professional in 2017.

"I am absolutely over the moon to have the chance to fight for the WBC world title," said Rankin, who will contest her ninth world title bout.

"It is one of the most prestigious belts, one fighters want to get in their career and it is amazing for me.

"Most of all I remember Ema from fighting Claressa Shields over here in Cardiff. She is a southpaw, an aggressive style fighter who I am looking forward to sharing a ring with and I think we will put on a great show."

The WBC belt was previously held by Liverpool's Natasha Jonas, who moved down to welterweight and became a two-weight world champion earlier this year.

Rankin lost her WBA world title to Englishwoman Terri Harper in September 2022, before returning to winning ways by outpointing Logan Holler in March.

She added: "I came into this sport to see how far I could go after coming into it late in my early 20s. This is me going for a third world title to take back to Scotland and I really couldn't be prouder."

The title fight forms part of a Queensberry promotions card headlined by a British middleweight contest between Nathan Heaney and Denzel Bentley.

In the co-main event, featherweight Nick Ball will take on former WBO world champion Isaac Dogboe in a final eliminator for the WBC world title.