Daniel Dubois returns to the right to challenge Romanian fighter Bodgan Dinu for the vacant WBA interim heavyweight title.
The 23-year-old Briton suffered his first professional defeat in November 2020 against Joe Joyce, opting to take a knee in response to what turned out to be nerve damage and a fractured orbital bone.
That decision attracted both praise and criticism but he is now planning for a June 5 fight following the all-clear from doctors.
He has lost his Commonwealth and British heavyweight titles but could now claim a fresh belt and position himself as a potential challenger for a full title in the aftermath of Tyson Fury’s proposed fight with current WBA champion Anthony Joshua.
His 34-year-old opponent has a 20-2 record and stands at 6’5”, and is currently ranked number two by the WBA.
"I am excited to be back in the ring on June 5 after the frustration of being kept out of the gym and doing what I love to do for a number of months after my last fight," said Dubois.
"This is my chance to remind people of what I am really about, which is winning fights in a devastating fashion. I don't need to make any excuses for the Joe fight because everybody could see the issue with my vision, but Joe won fair and square and we move on.
"Time is on my side but I don't intend to slow down my progress and I am more than happy to be returning to the ring in a big title fight that puts me right back in the picture.
"I respect Dinu and accept that he could provide a tough test, but I can only see one outcome and that is me leaving the ring with another major championship belt for my collection."
Dubois’ promoter Frank Warren said: “I’m delighted to get this fight over the line for Daniel and really pleased to be working with Greg Cohen on this event. A win for Daniel in this Interim title fight will see him become the mandatory challenger for the WBA world title and, if he can get past Dinu on June 5, he is back in contention and right in the mix with the top contenders.
"It is an opportunity for Daniel to post a 'business as usual' statement to the public and the rest of the heavyweight division following his setback against Joe. Daniel's enthusiasm to reach the very top has not diminished in the slightest and, even though it is a bit of an old cliche, it is true that he will only learn and benefit from the experience of taking a first loss and rebuilding from it.
"Dinu is a high quality and respected opponent who in no way can Daniel take lightly. It is exactly the sort of challenge he needs at this stage in his career. Daniel achieved so much, so early on his professional journey and remains so young in heavyweight terms.
"There will be significant pressure on Daniel coming back after a first defeat and the focus will be right on him to see how he reacts. He is returning in a big fight, everything will be on the line and the prize on offer is a shot at the world title."