Matthew Macklin targets Miguel Cotto after securing eliminator against Jorge Sebastien Heiland

MATTHEW MACKLIN will face WBC International champion Jorge Sebastien Heiland in an official eliminator for the WBC middleweight title held by Miguel Cotto at the National Stadium in Dublin on August 30, live on Sky Sports โ€“ with tickets on sale from 9am on Tuesday July 22.

Macklin is back in action for the first time since December and can take a huge step towards facing the Puerto Rican legend if he can see off Heiland, the 27-year-old Heiland who is ranked at number four with the WBC and won the WBC International title in November with a fifth-round knockout of Billi Godoy in his native Argentina.

Macklin is ranked at nine in the division and is chomping at the bit to get back into the ring and has set his sights on a showdown with Cotto.

โ€œFor the last few years now all my fights have been in the US and while itโ€™s been great having big fights in New York and Las Vegas Iโ€™ve definitely missed fighting at home,โ€ said Macklin. โ€œThereโ€™s a huge appetite among boxing fans to see big time boxing back in Dublin and thereโ€™s no atmosphere in the world like an Irish fight night. I know that Eddie can deliver the big fights for me in Dublin so itโ€™s a very exciting time for me.

โ€œItโ€™s great to have an eliminator to put me straight back in the frame for another world title fight. Heiland is rated number four with the WBC so Iโ€™m sure he will be coming to Ireland with his own World title ambitions. Itโ€™s a must win fight for me and it doesnโ€™t matter what he brings to the ring on August 30, he wonโ€™t be beating me.โ€

Promoter Eddie Hearn brings a star-studded cast of fighters to Dublin for Matchroom Boxingโ€™s first show it the city, with Olympic gold medal hero Anthony Joshua MBE facing another step up in opponent as he faces Yaroslav Zavorotnyi, the Ukrainian who took David Price ten rounds in June.

Commonwealth super-flyweight champion Kal Yafai defends his title against Belfastโ€™s Luke Wilton, and thereโ€™s a spicy grudge match between bitter rivals Spike Oโ€™Sullivan and Anthony Fitzgerald meeting in the ring in what promises to be a fiery encounter.

Dublinโ€™s Luke Keeler and Declan Garrity also appear on the bill with Hearn set to announce more names for the show soon, as he launches a new era for Matchroom Boxing in the great city of Dublin.

โ€œI can’t wait for our first show in Dublin, the fans are in for a real treat,โ€ said Hearn. โ€œIt’s a stacked card with Matthew in a hugely important fight that puts him in a great position to challenge for another World title.

โ€œWe’ve seen Matthew denied of what I believe was a victory in Germany against Sturm and a great performance against Sergio Martinez โ€“ the Cotto fight would be a great event. He is straight back in at the deep end against Heiland but letโ€™s be honest, he wouldn’t want it any other way!

โ€œFans can expect plenty of fireworks on the undercard. Heavyweight sensation Anthony Joshua makes a big step up against Zavorotnyi who just lost a 10-round points decision against David Price. Super-flyweight star Kal Yafai makes the first defence of his Commonwealth crown and Gary O’Sullivan and Anthony Fitzgerald take part in an all-Ireland grudge match.”

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