Ricky Hatton will take a significant step up in class when he makes the next defence of his WBU light-welterweight title in Manchester on 5 April.

Hatton will face former IBF champion Vince Phillips at the MEN Arena as he builds towards a projected July showdown with Junior Witter, who will fight on the undercard.

Hatton blew away America's Joe Hutchinson in four rounds in Newcastle last month.

And he said of his next opponent: "Phillips may be a veteran but is certainly not a shot fighter.

"Phillips has proved he still deserves to be up there and I see this as the start of the next step.

"I must get through him to get to the fight I want with Junior in July."

The 39-year-old Phillips has a stoppage win over undisputed light-welterweight king Kostya Tszyu to his name, although that was six years ago.

He has also stretched Vernon Forrest and Sharmba Mitchell to points decisions and has won 44 of his 52 fights.

Bradford fighter Witter will meet Russia's Mikhail Krivolapov, whom Hatton stopped in nine rounds in February last year.