Belfast Featherweight contender MarcMcCullough will box Hungary’s Zoltan Kovacs in Madrid on Friday the 24th of July.

McCullough, the WBO World number 4 ranked Featherweight, features in the chief support bout to Spain’s Ruddy Encarnacion’s European (EBU) Featherweight title challenge outdoors at the Hipodromo de la Zarzuela in Madrid.

Boxing legend and former World Champion Sergio Martinez co-promotes this big night of boxing with his Maravilla Box promotional outfit in association with Enrique Soria of Tundra Promotions.

Belfast’s McCullough, 12 (8) – 1, has put together a string of impressive performances over the past eighteen months. McCullough picked up the Irish Featherweight title in October 2013 with a ninth round stoppage of former European Champion Willie Casey. The Shankill Road boxer then won the WBO European title in June of last year when bettered Prague’s then undefeated Martin Parlagi before going on to defend that title against former World Champ Dmitry Kirillov on the huge Titanic Showdown World title bill last September.

Budapest’s Zoltan Kovacs is known to British fight fans for his valiant display against London’s Mitchell Smith in November of last year. That night the Hungarian pushed Smith all the way, losing on points for the vacant WBO European Super Featherweight title at the Excel Arena in London in an action packed bout on the undercard of Chris Eubank Jr vs Billy Joe Saunders.

Should the talented McCullough impressively defeat his Hungarian opponent in Madrid next Friday there is a real possibility that the Belfast man will get to challenge the victor of the main event.

Cyclone Promotions Head of Boxing Jake McGuigan said, “Marc is in against a live opponent next weekend in Madrid. We believe that Marc can go on to achieve great things and it is important for him to get a solid win under his belt after being out with a hand injury. Should Ruddy Encarnacion win the EBU title we will be looking to bring him over to Belfast to defend his European belt against Marc later this year.

“It is great to be working with Maravilla Box again and Tundra Promotions, two excellent Spanish promotional teams. The show on the 24th of July will be an outdoor event in Madrid and looks set to be a fantastic night of top-class boxing.”