Ryan Burnett in action on MTK Fight Night
In a press release from MTK Global, Former unified bantamweight world champion Ryan Burnett will make his ring return on #MTKFightNight at Belfast’s Ulster Hall on May 17. The fight card is promoted in association with Top Rank Boxing and will be aired live on the streaming service ESPN+ and on iFL TV.
MTK Global held a fight card in March at the venue, which saw Luke Keeler defeat Conrad Cummings to win the WBO European championship.
Burnett (19-1, 9 KOs) is challenging for a title in front of his hometown crowd as he meets Jelbirt Gomera for the WBC International super-bantamweight belt.
Burnett said in the press release:
“I want to be world champion again. Nothing else matters. This is a significant step in that campaign and I’m delighted it’s taking place in my home city.
“My opponent on May 17 is in the way of my being back where I know I belong. You will see my determination on fight night.”
? BREAKING NEWS ?
A huuuuuge headline act has just been confirmed for the #MTKFightNight in Belfast…
DETAILS ➡ https://t.co/B3FNjsXjkH#BurnettGomera
? @UlsterHall
? May 17
? https://t.co/o9VYn98KTc
? @ESPN+ / @IFLTV #TeamMTKGlobal pic.twitter.com/7vXNAJlaSD— MTK Global ? (@MTKGlobal) April 11, 2019
Burnett’s trainer Adam Booth said in the press release:
“Myself and MTK Global have a plan to get Ryan back to where he should be, which is world champion status.
“His hunger and desire are greater than ever before so there’s no doubt he can head back to the top. Enjoy the ride.”
MTK Global Professional Development Coordinator Jamie Conlan added in the statement: “This is just fantastic news for everyone concerned. We’re delighted to be welcoming Ryan and Adam to another huge event in Belfast.”
“Ryan’s achievements speak for themselves. He unified as a world champion, and we believe it’s only a matter of time before he’s back at the very top of the sport.
“Belfast fans and all those who come from outside the city to this event are in for a real treat. These shows with our friends at Top Rank and ESPN+ are already getting bigger and bigger.”
The Filipino southpaw Gomera (14-5, 7 KOs) will bring his power moving down from featherweight starting his professional career with three consecutive first-round knockouts.
Burnett unified the bantamweight division belts when he defeated Zhanat Zhakiyanov’s for his WBA Super title to his IBF title back in October 2017.
Marquis Johns is a unknown humorist and avid boxing fan. His love for the sweet science goes back to when matches were 15 rounds and has been covering fights since closed-circuit pay-per-views. Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth is not only a quote by Mike Tyson, it's also a pretty good reminder to keep your guard up.