Conlan set for September return in Dublin

On September 5 in Dublin, Belfast featherweight Michael Conlan will take on Jack Bateson.

After missing 15 months of the ring after being defeated by Jordan Gill in December 2023, the 33-year-old resumed his winning ways in March with a points victory over Asad Asif Khan.

Former British super-bantamweight champion, Bateson, who has a record of 20 victories, one defeat, and one draw, has defeated him.

After a second-round cut and the fight being stopped in the second round, the 31-year-old’s most recent encounter with Danny Quartermaine in December of that year ended in a draw.

After defeating India’s Khan in March, Conlan’s reigning champion Cristobal Lorente was scheduled to face fellow Spaniard Ruben Gil this weekend.

It would always be a long road back for another shot because of the losses in previous world featherweight titles.

Conlan waited out 2024 after losing to Gill in December of that year before admitting that the only reason he was fighting was to capture the elusive world title.

From this point forward, it must be win-win territory, and head trainer Grant Smith is making the necessary adjustments.

The Belfast man has argued that this will come to an end if he doesn’t get in shape before he is confident that he will.

Conlan still has the ability to draw crowds, and that ability opens doors, so it may take a while before things fully come to a head.

A chance at one of the current champions next year is not beyond his control if he defeats Bateson, and perhaps there is another test at a higher level.