• Boxing

Frampton issues warning to Martinez

Frampton is hoping for another victory on home soil © PA Photos

Enlarge

Carl Frampton has issued a warning to Kiko Martinez that his home crowd will be 'baying for blood' when the pair step into the ring for their IBF super-bantamweight title.

Belfast's Titanic Quarter has been announced as the venue for the September 6th bout with a 16,000 sell-out crowd expected to fill the purpose-built temporary arena and Frampton is relishing the prospect of fighting in front of Northern Ireland's biggest ever boxing crowd.

In their last meeting, Frampton defeated the Spaniard in the ninth round to win the European super-bantamweight title but Martinez has gone onto win four consecutive fights since, including a world title victory over Jhonatan Romero.

Frampton, however, insists the cards are heavily stacked in his favour as he returns home.

"I just feel everything has fallen into place. I'm 27 now, I'm in the prime of my life and the next few years are going to be the best you're going to see from me," he said.

"I'm a live fighter, I'm hungry, I'm fighting in my own back yard in front of 16,000 people who are going to be baying for his blood and he's not going to be ready for that,

"If you look at Kiko's last performances since losing to me he's won a world title against a weak champion, he's boxed two over-the-hill guys - and looked good against them - but this is a different story.I know I'm ready. I know from what I've been doing in sparring and to my opponents - I'm sparring light welterweight guys in the gym and throwing them around."

Frampton has won all 18 of his fights since turning professional in 2009 and stated on Twitter this week that he's looking forward to seeing his "wee friend" again to renew their fierce rivalry.

"We're both aggressive fighters, we're both compact and like to come forward but Kiko can only come forward," Frampton insisted.

"He's had more than 30 fights in his career and in every single one he's always on the front foot whereas I can go backwards, forwards, wherever, so that can make the difference."

Meanwhile, Kell Brook's IBF welterweight title fight against Shawn Porter has been confirmed for August 16th at the StubHub Centre in California.

The venue is the home of Major League Soccer clubs Los Angeles Galaxy and Chivas USA and has a capacity of 27,000. There were doubts over whether the bout would go ahead after Porter's camp insisted that no formal agreement had been reached with the original fight date of 9th August abandoned. Promoter Eddie Hearn, however, confirmed the fight would be going ahead as planned.

What a venue to become the champ! @SpecialKBrook #brookvporter #aug16 #stubhub pic.twitter.com/2YHiZoaYnr

— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) July 2, 2014

Brook is unbeaten in his 32 fights to date while American Porter, who currently holds the belt after defeating Paulie Malignaggi, has gone 25 bouts without defeat.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd