Top Rank’s August 15th Belfast doubleheader has its first complete matchup. Irish News reports that while Carl Frampton still has a date with TBA, former Olympian Michael Conlan will face recent title challenger Sofiane Takoucht.
Conlan (13-0, 7 KO) avenged his infamous Rio defeat to Vladimir Nikitin this past December with a comfortable decision victory, earning his third win of 2019 and his sixth at Madison Square Garden. As the WBO’s top contender at 126 pounds, he has clearance to fight Top Rank stablemate and former super bantamweight champion Emanuel Navarrete for the vacant belt Shakur Stevenson left behind in his move to 130 pounds, but instead gets a soft touch in Takoucht (35-4-1, 13 KO).
The 34-year-old Frenchman brought an empty eight-fight winning streak into his October bout with Josh Warrington, where he got the ignominious honor of being the IBF champion’s seventh knockout victim in 30 pro fights. He figures to pose no threat whatsoever to Conlan.
Source: badlefthook.com