By Elliot Foster
Carl Frampton is planning on another assault at world level before he retires.
The Belfast featherweight was due to fight in Philadelphia earlier this month where victory over Emmanuel Dominguez was meant to set him up for a pre-Christmas world title fight.
But Frampton suffered a freak hand injury during fight week as an ornament fell on him and forced him out of the fight at the Liacouras Center, exclusively live on BT Sport and ESPN+.
And now, the 32-year-old wants to be back between the ropes before the end of the year.
“My plan is to box in America in December and my team are already looking at a couple of dates and then there is a real possibility that I would fight for a world title around March or April – at featherweight or super-featherweight,” he said in his weekly Sunday Life column.
“I know immediately after the injury I said I wanted to go straight for a world title but, thinking rationally, it makes sense to have a fight before that because I have been out of the ring for so long.”
‘The Jackal’ was set to return on the back of an eight-month layoff after losing a challenge to IBF featherweight world champion Josh Warrington last December at Manchester Arena.
But the injury he suffered will mean that he will be out for a little while longer yet.
“It is medically known as a ‘non-displaced fracture of the fifth metacarpal mid-shaft’ which is otherwise known as a ‘boxer’s fracture’,” he added. “It’s the kind of thing happens when someone hits someone on the head in a pub fight or it can easily happen in the ring when you hit someone on top of the head. With me, it was a freestanding ornament and I still can’t quite believe that happened.”
Frampton is unable to punch for at least eight weeks but is planning to fight for the world title again sooner rather than later.
Return details for the former IBF and WBA Super world super-bantamweight champion will be revealed in due course.