Scott Quigg will defend his WBA super bantamweight title against Kiko Martinez in Manchester on the 18th July.
Quigg had been hoping to fight IBF title holder Carl Frampton in what would have been a lucrative meeting between two British world champions but their respective teams were unable to come to an arrangement that suited both parties. Instead Quigg will now take on Martinez who was the man Frampton beat in September 2014 to earn his world title.
Quigg last fought in November 2014 when he won by unanimous decision against Hidenori Otaka in Liverpool's Echo Arena. Quigg picked up an injury which saw him miss a few months but he is fully recovered now and ready to continue a career that has saw him unbeaten in 32 fights.
Martinez's last fight was in December last year when he beat George Gachechiladze by second round TKO in Barcelona. The much travelled Spaniard has fought in the UK five times before and has won just one of those when he beat Dougie Curran on a small card in Belfast. The other four saw him lose to Rendall Munroe in Nottingham and Barnsley and twice to Frampton in Belfast.
Quigg will be expected to beat Martinez and if he is serious about competing with the likes of Frampton, Nonito Donaire and Guillermo Rigondeaux this is a hurdle he must overcome. Martinez has proven himself to a tough, durable fighter who can pack a punch as his 24 knockout wins show and Quigg will face one of the toughest tests of his career to date on the 18th July.