Carl Frampton’s scheduled opponent for Aug. 15 in London, Vahram Vardanyan, has pulled out due to a visa issue.
Frampton (27-2, 15 KOs) is set for his first action of the calendar year at BT Sport Studios a week on Saturday.
However, Armenian-born Vardanyan (21-1-1, 14 KOs) lives in Riga, Latvia, and would have been prevented from entering England in time for the fight.
“It is what it is,” Belfast’s Frampton told BoxingScene.com.
“I feel like I’m a pretty positive person. These things are out of my control. I just have to deal with it, and that’s what I intend to do."
Frampton’s team is currently in the process of finding a replacement opponent at short notice.
“I still don’t know who I will be fighting,” Frampton said. “I’m sure they will get an opponent for me for the 15th, but at this point in time I’m not sure who it’s gonna be and I’m sure which weight it’s gonna be.
“I imagine an opponent coming in at a week’s notice is not gonna be able to make 130 [pounds].”
If Frampton wins this as-yet unconfirmed contest, he is next expected to face Jamel Herring (21-2, 10 KOs) — assuming Herring retains his WBO junior lightweight title against Jonathan Oquendo (31-6, 19 KOs) on Sept. 5 in Las Vegas.
Herring-Frampton fight was penciled in for June 13 in Frampton's hometown of Belfast, but the coronavirus pandemic shut down plans of holding the fight at the outdoors at Windsor Park.
Also at BT Sport Studio on Aug. 15, Ireland’s Michael Conlan (13-0, 7 KOs) is set to face France’s Sofiane Takoucht (35-4-1, 13 KOs) over 10 rounds.