Eddie Hearn Eyeing UK Return For Jamie McDonnell

By Shaun Brown

Promoter Eddie Hearn is hoping that his WBA World bantamweight champion Jamie McDonnell (27-2-1, 12 KOs) will fight on British soil this year for the first time since November 2014.

McDonnell, who last fought in Britain when making his first world title defence against Javier Nicolas Chacon, had two fights and two wins last year, both coming against Tomoki Kameda in what were the champion's second and third title defences.

Hearn told BoxingScene.com earlier this month that he was in talks for the fighting Yorkshireman to face Al Haymon’s unbeaten Puerto Rican Emmanuel Rodriguez in 2016.

Hearn, however, told Boxing Scene that he could have McDonnell box in the UK in early spring.

“Part of me wants him to box here and get the credit he deserves,” Hearn told ‘Scene.

“We are talking to Al Haymon and his team about taking Jamie back to the States and we have also had discussions regarding a unification with (WBC champion) Shinsuke Yamanaka.”

With IBF champion Lee Haskins set to make the first defence of his title this spring, Hearn also has one eye on an all-British unification fight.

“I think the Haskins unification has some legs too,” he added.

“We will sit down next week with Jamie and his manager (and trainer) Dave Coldwell and decide which way we will go but don’t be surprised to see Jamie fighting back on UK shores soon.”

Jamie’s twin brother Gavin looks set to return to action in March as part of the Kell Brook-Kevin Bizier undercard in Sheffield with an official announcement set to be made this week. Gavin, the former European super bantamweight champion, is now looking to make his way up the world rankings and may find himself involved in a world title eliminator at some point this year.

Shaun Brown is Boxing Scene’s UK News Editor. Follow him on Twitter @sbrown2pt0 Contact him at sbrownboxing@gmail.com