Irish star Michael “Mick” Conlan is primed to make another charge at a featherweight world title. Less than five months removed from his valiant effort against WBA champion Leigh Wood, it is time for Conlan's summer homecoming.
Conlan will battle Colombian puncher Miguel Marriaga in the 10-round main event Saturday, Aug. 6, at The SSE Arena as part of Belfast’s annual Féile an Phobail festival. Conlan-Marriaga and undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+.
Promoted by Top Rank and Conlan Boxing, tickets go on sale Friday, June 10, and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.co.uk.
“There is no place like home, and we are thrilled that Mick will get another chance to perform in front of the tremendous Belfast fans,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “With a win over a solid opponent like Marriaga, he’ll once again be contending for a featherweight world title in short order.”
“I’m very excited to be back fighting in my beloved Belfast,” Conlan said. "Miguel is a great fighter, and together we'll give the fans a memorable night at The SSE Arena. This bout will get me straight back in the mix for world titles, and I’m relishing the task at hand.”
Added Jamie Conlan, CEO of Conlan Boxing: “The road back for Michael starts with Miguel Marriaga. Miguel is a dangerous man and one of the biggest punchers in the division who has mixed it up at the very top. August 6 will be another electric night in the city in what is becoming an annual Irish boxing tradition with Michael's fight night at the Féile festival. The goal remains the same. Michael Conlan will be Ireland’s next world champion.”
A two-time Irish Olympian, this marks Conlan's fourth professional outing in Belfast and third time headlining during Féile an Phobail. In August 2019, he knocked out Diego Alberto Ruiz in front of a sold-out crowd at Falls Park. Last summer, another sold-out crowd packed Falls Park as Conlan (16-1, 8 KOs) bested former junior featherweight world champion TJ Doheny over 12 rounds. The Doheny victory earned Conlan the mandatory position to fight Wood. In an epic Fight of the Year battle, Conlan, who was ahead on the scorecards, lost via 12th-round stoppage.
Marriaga (30-5, 28 KOs), from Arjona, Colombia, has been a factor at featherweight and junior lightweight since making his American debut in 2014. He is a three-time world title challenger, falling short to Nicholas Walters and Oscar Valdez at featherweight and Vasiliy Lomachenko in an August 2017 bid for the WBO junior lightweight crown. Marriaga is 5-2 since the Lomachenko fight and returns to featherweight following a decision loss last December to junior lightweight contender Eduardo Ramirez.
Undercard
Three of Top Rank's brightest young talents — welterweight Paddy “Real Deal” Donovan, featherweight Kurt Walker, and junior middleweight Kieran Molloy — will return Saturday, Aug. 6, on the Michael Conlan-Miguel Marriaga undercard at The SSE Arena in Belfast.
Donovan will appear in his first scheduled eight-rounder, while Walker and Molloy will see action in separate six-rounders. All three bouts will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+. The ESPN+ stream is also scheduled to include Belfast native Padraig McCrory (13-0, 7 KOs) defending his WBC International Silver super middleweight belt in a 10-rounder versus former world title challenger Marco Antonio Periban (26-5-1, 17 KOs).
Promoted by Top Rank and Conlan Boxing, tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.co.uk.
Donovan (8-0, 6 KOs), from Limerick, Ireland, is trained and managed by former middleweight world champion Andy Lee. The stylish southpaw last fought on the Josh Taylor-Jack Catterall undercard in February, knocking out Miroslav Serban in six rounds. Donovan has been out of action rehabbing a hand injury.
Walker (2-0, 1 KO), from Lisburn, Northern Ireland, turned pro with a first-round knockout on the Taylor-Catterall card, a highly anticipated debut following an amateur run that included a gold medal at the 2019 European Games. He returned April 23 on the Tyson Fury-Dillian Whyte undercard at Wembley Stadium, where he won a four-round decision over Stefan Nicolae.
Molloy (1-0, 1 KO), a native of Galway, Ireland, also turned pro on the Taylor-Catterall bill and notched a second-round stoppage over Damian Esquisabel. He was scheduled to fight June 18 on the Artur Beterbiev-Joe Smith Jr. undercard, but his opponent tested positive for COVID-19 during fight week. Molloy signed a professional contract with Top Rank after winning an Irish national title last October.
