Jesse Hart to return on February 3

Jesse Hart, who became a bona fide super middleweight contender with a very competitive loss to WBO titleholder Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez on September 22, will return to the ring on February 3, according to ESPN.com.

Hart (22-1, 18 KO) doesn’t have an opponent yet, but the fight is not currently slated to be part of that night’s Top Rank broadcast on ESPN, which will be headlined by Ramirez defending his belt against Habib Ahmed, plus Jerwin Ancajas defending his 115-pound title against Israel Gonzalez.

Philadelphia’s Hart, 28, could easily find himself back in contention and possibly in a rematch with Ramirez next year. The super middleweight division is tough and talented, but Top Rank doesn’t have a lot of big options in-house, and Ramirez-Hart was a good fight the first time around.

Of course all that depends on both fighters continuing to win, as they’ll be expected to do in March. Hart likely will face a tune-up style opponent, someone to get him back in the win column and building toward something bigger.