Conlan vs Bateson for Vacant WBC Intl Featherweight Title in Dublin

Michael Conlan goes into a career-defining fight on Friday night at Dublin's 3Arena when he meets Jack Bateson for the vacant WBC International featherweight title, a bout that could determine whether the Belfast fighter remains a contender on the world stage. The main event, scheduled to begin around 10.20pm BST, will be shown live on Channel 5 and pits a two-time world title challenger fighting to preserve his ambitions against a hungry challenger seeking a breakthrough.

Conlan, 33, arrives after a turbulent 18 months that included knockout defeats to Leigh Wood, Jordan Gill and Luis Alberto Lopez. He returned in March with a measured victory over Asad Asif Khan and has said he feels "probably in the best place mentally" that he has been in a long time. Speaking on a UK podcast, Conlan said he is enjoying training again and believes he can still reach the top. "I can. I know I can. I believe I will," he told reporters when asked whether he could record his first stoppage in nearly three years, while stressing he expects a hard ten rounds.

Bateson, a 31-year-old from Leeds and a former Great Britain amateur, arrives with a record that includes just one loss in 22 fights,...