Former world champion Carl Frampton's Top Rank debut could have him making a trip overseas and fighting in Philadelphia.
According to Boxing Scene, Frampton's next fight, his first since signing a co-promotional deal with Top Rank, appears to be taking place on August 10. The fight would headline a Top Rank on ESPN+ card at the Liacouras Center.
No opponent has been named in the report, but the implications of Frampton fighting in the U.S. instead of simply fighting in the United Kingdom and having ESPN+ stream the bout means that Top Rank is looking to build up for a future title shot. Ever since Frampton, also promoted by Frank Warren's Queensberry Promotions, signed with Top Rank, the goal is to eventually face WBO featherweight champion Oscar Valdez, another Top Rank fighter.
Valdez is coming off a title defense against Jason Sanchez earlier this month on ESPN, clearing potentially the last hurdle, at least on Valdez's side, for a fight against Frampton. Valdez did say he wants a big featherweight fight soon as he feels like his time at 126 pounds could be coming to an end due to gradually increasing difficulties in being able to make weight.
Frampton has held the IBF super bantamweight title from 2014 to 2016 and ended his run at 122 pounds by beating Scott Quigg and unifying the IBF and WBA belts in February 2016. Frampton then moved up to featherweight later that year and defeated Leo Santa Cruz to win the WBA featherweight title, but lost the belt in his first title defense in a rematch with Santa Cruz in 2017.
Afterwards, Frampton would go on to win three straight fights, which includes a victory over Nonito Donaire to capture the interim WBO featherweight title in April 2018. After defending the belt against Luke Jackson later that year, he would go on to lose to IBF featherweight world champion Josh Warrington last December in Manchester.
