REPORT: Ryan Burnett to return from injury to top big Belfast bill NEXT MONTH

Belfast bantamweight Ryan Burnett [19(9)-1(1)] is to return to the ring in a headline fight in his home city next month according to a report today.

The former unified WBA and IBF titlist lost his world champion status, his undefeated record, and his chance to win the World Boxing Super Series back in November when he was pulled out of his quarter-final in Glasgow versus Nonito Donaire.

Burnett suffered a severe injury that night but has recovered well and will return on Friday May 17th to top a bill at the SSE Odyssey Arena David Kelly of the Belfast Telegraph revealed today.

The Antrim Road fighter tore his oblique muscle, which also detached from the bone in the Donaire fight and was pulled out between rounds four and five by coach Adam Booth.

The coach and manager of Burnett said that the 26-year-old would face a minimum of six months and, less than three months later, the fighter was back training in in his home gym.

A May 17th fight card had been revealed by a number of fighters that appeared on the MTK Global Fight Night at the Ulster Hall on Friday and now it is being reported by Kelly that Burnett will top the show.

Last month it was announced that Booth had linked up with management outfit Mack The Knife Global, with his fighters Burnett, Josh Kelly, and Harlem Eubank coming under the banner joining gym-mates Mick Conlan and Lucien Reid.

While the SSE Odyssey Arena is being reported, Irish-Boxing.com understands the smaller venues are also in the picture.

Opponent and TV details are not available at present.

Burnett last fought in Belfast in October 2017 when he topped a bill at the Odyssey, defeating Zhanat Zhakiyanov to unify the IBF and WBA 118lbs titles.

The card could be one of three in the Titanic City in May.

MHD Promotions are set to run a bill on Saturday May 18th – ‘Summer Brawl’ – at the Europa Hotel while Boxing Ireland Promotions have indicated that they hope to put on ‘Celtic Clash 8’ in the city at some stage during the month.