Michael Conlan has two specific timeframes and venues in mind for a possible title fight against current WBO super-bantamweight champion Stephen Fulton Jr. after overcoming his latest test in London.
Conlan was pushed to the limit by Romania's Ionut Baluta but his quality shone through enough to earn a majority decision victory in chief support to Sunny Edwards' main event world title win over Moruti Mthalane, and his promoter Bob Arum had already suggested earlier in the year that moving to 15-0 would lead to a big championship opportunity next.
After the bout, the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympian told Boxing Scene how he wants the rest of 2021 to play out, and how it could well involve fellow undefeated fighter Fulton, who impressed in his title win over Angelo Leo in January.
“Baluta is tougher than I thought. He’s shown in his last two fights that he’s as game as he come, but he was missing with tons of punches," explained Conlan. "It was a good fight though and good preparation for what is to come.
“He held his engine more than I thought he would and he worked every round. It was my first fight at super-bantamweight and my first 12 rounder and the perfect test for where I’m at.
“I want Stephen Fulton in Belfast in August. With the politics of boxing, will it be possible for then? I don’t know, but we will hope so. If it can happen in August I would love that, but if not then in the winter in New York.
“I will stay active and fight in August no matter what, so it’s straight back into the gym. I know I have to be patient and can’t rush too quick, so if I have to wait until December for the world title then that’s no problem.”
New York — and Madison Square Garden in partcular — seems to be exactly what Arum envisions for Conlan's big chance. And with Fulton seemingly set for a unification fight with the winner of the May 15 WBC title bout between Luis Nery and Brandon Figueroa, the later slot does seem more realistic for the Irishman, which makes one more fight in the interim a likely scenario.