Ricky Burns secures title bout with Roman Martinez
Biggest fight of career - Burns
Ricky Burns is to finally get his shot at Puerto Rico's WBO super-featherweight champion Roman Martinez.
After months of wrangling between the two camps, the Commonwealth champion from Coatbridge will meet the unbeaten Martinez in Glasgow on 4 September.
At a media conference to announce the Kelvin Hall event Burns, 27, said: "This has been dragging on a bit.
"It is the biggest fight of my career, but I'm more than confident that I can beat him."
The Scot was installed as mandatory challenger late last year, with the bout scheduled for the champion's homeland.
I have 10 weeks' solid training ahead of me, more than enough to prepare for this fight
Ricky Burns
"At the start, it was meant to be in Puerto Rico, then it was here and then there were a few dates that all fell though," explained Burns.
"I was originally training to fight on the 17 July, but obviously it was moved forward. But the date is set now and I have something to train for.
"I have 10 weeks solid training ahead of me, more than enough to prepare for this fight."
On the same bill, Greenock fighter John Simpson will defend his Commonwealth featherweight title against English rival Stephen Smith and Edinburgh super-featherweight Paul Appleby returns to the ring after a year's absence, with his opponent yet to be announced.
Martinez, also 27, who won the title from Essex fighter Nicky Cook in Manchester in March last year, has since won two defences on home soil with knockouts of Feider Viloria and Gonzalo Munguia.
With all the delays for this proposed fight Burns has fought just once since last June, beating Youssef Al Hamidi on points in a non-title bout on 15 May.
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