Carl Frampton seeking knockout victory to set up Jamel Herring world title shot

The former two-weight world champion is making his long-awaited return to the ring and must win to earn a world title shot with American Jamel Herring in November.

Traynor is standing in for Frampton’s original opponent, Vahram Vardanyan, who pulled out due to visa issues.

The Belfast boxer is bidding to become Ireland’s first three-weight world champion later this year and says he will be seeking a knock-out victory against Traynor.

“I’m delighted to get an opponent over the line. I have to credit MTK Global for seeing there could have been issues with the original opponent getting into the country, and have been paying Darren Traynor for a number of weeks to train,” he said.

“He’ll be in decent shape and will be up for it as well. There is no pressure on him, but it is up to me to look good. I want to be taking this guy out and then moving on to think about Jamel Herring.

“I can’t be complacent in the slightest. I know I’m the big favourite in the fight but I want to win and want to look good, and I want to win by knockout.

“I feel like he’s a better opponent as he’s fought at a higher level than Vardanyan, and he’s coming in at lightweight,” Frampton added.

“I haven’t made my debut at super-featherweight yet and I’m already jumping in at lightweight, so that’s obviously a little bit in his favour, but I’m looking forward to not having to struggle at all in fight week and then putting on an explosive show.”

Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum added: “The show must go on, and Carl needed a fight after a pretty long layoff. His goal is to become Ireland’s first three-weight world champion, and after he’s victorious on Saturday, we will do everything we can to give him that opportunity.”

Meanwhile, fellow Belfast fighter Michael Conlan is also in action in the co-main event as he takes on Sofiane Takoucht.

Unbeaten Conlan plans to drop down to super-bantamweight afterwards and challenge for a world title of his own.

“I came out of this pandemic lighter than I’ve ever been,” he said.

“I think it’s just the reset button on me, myself, and I’ve kind of refocused myself.

“We’ll fight Takoucht at 126, and then after that, we’ll move down. I would love a [world title shot] in my next fight. I know it may not be possible the way things stand with the WBO, but 100 percent I’d be happy to challenge for the WBO title next,” Conlan added.

“I’d be confident in facing any of {the champions now}. If that was the case, it’d be no problem. But we’ll get this one out of the way Saturday and then 122, here I come.

“It’s going to be a challenge on Saturday. Something different, something I haven’t experienced as a fighter, boxing in an arena with no one there,” said Conlan.

“It’s exciting me to hear those winces and the pounding of the breath, everything about it.”

Conlan says his fight with Takoucht cannot be compared to his bout with Josh Warrington.

“People will compare this to the Warrington fight with Takoucht, but it’s different situations,” he said.

“Warrington was coming off three great wins against three really top-class opponents, and he faced Takoucht, who is relatively unknown, in his own backyard in front of 20,000 of his fans.”