Nick Ball is relishing a homecoming fight in Liverpool after he had built his reputation in Saudi Arabia.
The 27-year-old fought in Riyadh twice, with his last event as part of the Queensberry vs. Matchroom 5 vs. 5 event.
Ball snatched the WBA featherweight title from Ray Ford, maintaining his unbeaten record, with the previous fight ending in a draw against Rey Vargas.
Ball will fight on October 5 in Liverpool, against experienced American fighter, Ronny Rios.
“I literally cannot wait to fight in Liverpool again, this time as a world champion,” he told Queensberry. “It has been over four years and it will be really special for me.
“Local interest in me and the other lads in the city is growing all the time and we all want to make Liverpool a regular destination for Frank [Warren] and Queensberry. We’ve got the fighters to make this happen and I am sure the people will get behind us all.
“It has been a dream year for me with two world title fights so far, so to cap it off by defending my belt at home is the icing on the cake and I am so excited.”
Frank Warren added: “I am thrilled to be returning to Liverpool with a world title fight and, unquestionably, the best featherweight in the world in Nick Ball. His journey since beating Isaac Lowe at Wembley Stadium in 2022 has been a magical ride and nobody deserves a big homecoming more than Nick.
“It has long been our intention to deliver a home platform for our Liverpool contingent, but first we needed to develop them as star performers and major attractions. These boxes have been ticked in a big way by Nick and on October 5 we will be in for a special night at the M&S Bank Arena.”
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