Lee McGregor will challenge Karim Guerfi for the European Bantamweight title in November.
Unbeaten McGregor (9-0, 7 KOs) secured a fifth round stoppage win over Ryan Walker last month, his first outing since adding the British belt to his Commonwealth strap, with a razor-thin split decision win over Scottish rival Kash Farooq last November.
‘Lightning’ will now face fellow MTK Global fighter and multiple-time European champion Guerfi (29-4, 9 KOs), who has a victory over Ryan Farrag and two wins over former world title challenger, Stephan Jamoye, with the EBU title at stake on all three occasions.
McGregor, 23, is ranked sixth by the IBF and admits he is looking to make his name known on world level in a division which features unified IBF and WBA champion, Naoya Inoue, who is set to face Jason Moloney in October.
“I’m so excited, and anyone who knows me knows I don’t back down from a hard challenge,” McGregor said.
“It’s no different this time I’m ready to show the world what I can really do.
“It will mean so much to me to win the European title.
“To become British, Commonwealth and European champion within 10 fights is a huge achievement and I’m not sure if many British fighters have done that, so I’m going to make sure I leave no stone unturned and be the best prepared I’ve ever been.
“I know Guerfi is a dangerous fighter and I’m expecting a very exciting and fan friendly fight. I will be 100% ready for whatever he brings.
“He’s a lot more experienced than me but I’m a young hungry fighter who’s fresh and ready to announce myself to the world stage.”
Frenchman Guerfi says he is aware of the threat McGregor poses and the 33-year-old, who is ranked just behind his opponent at ninth in the IBF rankings is keen to beat the Edinburgh man in emphatic fashion.
“I’m really excited to fight Lee McGregor, he is a good fighter and all of the fans in Scotland and the UK like this guy, so I can’t wait,” Guerfi explained.
“I haven’t fought since I won the title again last November and I’ve been desperate to come back into the ring as boxing is my life.
“McGregor is a warrior. He’s intelligent in the ring, so I think it’s going to be a good fight for the fans. I know I must beat this guy in style if I want to keep my belt.”
“We’re delighted to confirm that Karim Guerfi will defend his EBU bantamweight title against Lee McGregor,” MTK Global Promoter Lee Eaton added.
“It’s a massive fight for both boxers and one we’re extremely excited for.
“Both men will be looking to produce career best performances to ensure they get their hand raised, and we can’t wait to see how things unfold between these two MTK Global stars.”
Further details on the fight, along with news on the rest of MTK Global’s upcoming schedule, will be announced in due course.
