Frank Warren planning additional fight for Carl Frampton

Carl Frampton earned a points win over Horacio Garcia after 10 months out of the ring

Promoter Frank Warren expects Carl Frampton to take on another opponent before focusing on a possible world title fight in Belfast next summer.

Frampton made his return to the ring on Saturday after a 10-month absence with a points win over Horacio Garcia.

The former two-weight world champion said afterwards he wanted to challenge for a global title in his next bout.

Warren, however, wants him to box again before a world title contest, possibly at Windsor Park football ground.

The featherweight division currently has a glut of top boxers, prompting Warren to suggest an interim date.

Josh Warrington, the number one challenger in the IBF rankings, was ringside for Frampton's homecoming fight in Belfast

Leo Santa Cruz, who beat Frampton to regain his WBA featherweight belt in Las Vegas last January, is expected to fight Abner Mares in the spring, while IBF title holder Lee Selby is lined up to face number one challenger Josh Warrington after his upcoming defence against Eduardo Ramierez on 9 December.

Warren said Frampton, 30, should consider another fight in early 2018, which would allow him to bridge the gap between now and a title fight.

"I don't want him being out of the ring now until June so we will get him another fight in between," Warren said.

"If we can manoeuvre him into another world title fight before then, we will do it, but certainly we want to be looking at having a world title show in Belfast with him in the summer.

"I thought Carl, 10 months out of the ring, was a tough opponent. I didn't pick him. I would have picked an easier guy because he had been out of the ring for a while and he had all those problems in between.

"But the bottom line is that he did what he had to do; he dug deep. That will stand him in good stead and we will come back in the new year."