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.
โFor the last few years now all my fights have been in the US and while itโs been great having big fights in New York and Las Vegas Iโve definitely missed fighting at home,โ said Macklin. โThereโs a huge appetite among boxing fans to see big time boxing back in Dublin and thereโs no atmosphere in the world like an Irish fight night. I know that Eddie can deliver the big fights for me in Dublin so itโs a very exciting time for me.
โItโs 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 Iโm sure he will be coming to Ireland with his own World title ambitions. Itโs a must win fight for me and it doesnโt matter what he brings to the ring on August 30, he wonโt be beating me.โ
Promoter Eddie Hearn brings a star-studded cast of fighters to Dublin for Matchroom Boxingโs 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 Belfastโs Luke Wilton, and thereโs a spicy grudge match between bitter rivals Spike OโSullivan and Anthony Fitzgerald meeting in the ring in what promises to be a fiery encounter.
Dublinโs 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.
โI can’t wait for our first show in Dublin, the fans are in for a real treat,โ said Hearn. โIt’s a stacked card with Matthew in a hugely important fight that puts him in a great position to challenge for another World title.
โWe’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 letโs be honest, he wouldn’t want it any other way!
โFans 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.”