Carl Frampton plans August return, winter title shot

Carl Frampton has been out of action since falling to Josh Warrington last December, recently signing with Top Rank amid a legal battle with former manager Barry McGuigan, and his hiatus will last a few more months. According to Bob Arum, the 32-year-old Belfast native will return to the ring Stateside in August, then challenge for a world title in “probably November or December.”

Arum brought up the 10th and 23rd as possible dates; the original plan was for Frampton (26-2, 15 KO) to compete in the 3rd, but Michael Conlan’s rematch with Vladimir Nikitin wound up taking that slot.

The obvious opponent for Frampton’s title bid is WBO champ Oscar Valdez, another member of the Top Rank roster. Valdez is currently booked to face Jason Sanchez on June 8th, and assuming that the Mexican slugger doesn’t get busted up in yet another wild battle, there shouldn’t be any trouble getting everything ready for the winter.