In the next stop of his journey to become a full world champion again, interim WBO featherweight champion Carl Frampton finally has an opponent for his scheduled return to Belfast.
Frampon will face Luke Jackson on August 18 in Windsor Park in Belfast, Northern Ireland in the main event fight, marking the third consecutive bout Frampton fights in Belfast.
The former WBA "super" featherweight champion won the interim WBO featherweight title in April when he defeated Nonito Donaire by unanimous decision. The interim title was created as world champion Oscar Valdez is currently recovering from a fractured jaw suffered in his last fight against Scott Quigg earlier this year. Top Rank CEO Bob Arum previously said Valdez could be back as soon as November, but there's no guarantee Valdez would be ready to return to the ring in 2018.
Jackson, an undefeated 33-year-old boxer from Australia, started his pro career late in 2013, but has picked up a number of regional titles. Jackson is also ranked No. 5 in the WBO featherweight rankings and will be fighting in his first scheduled 12-round fight and first pro fight outside of Australia. Jackson is coming off a second-round knockout win over Surachet Tongmala back in April.
Frampton won't be the only major European boxing star to fight on that August 18 card in Belfast. Former unified world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury is scheduled to fight on that card as well, but still does not have an opponent. Fury defeated Sefer Seferi on June 9 when Seferi quit on his stool after the fourth round in Fury's first boxing match since 2015.
