Matthew Macklin to fight Jorge Sebastien Heiland in WBC eliminator
Matthew Macklin (30-5, 20 KOs) will face Jorge Sebastien Heiland (23-4-2, 11 KOs) of Argentina in Dublin on August 30 in a final eliminator for Miguel Cotto's WBC middleweight belt.
Macklin has had three shots at a world title and came up short each time against Felix Sturm, Sergio Martinez and Gennady Golovkin respectively.
After a split decision went Sturm's way back in 2011, Macklin dropped Martinez in the 7th round but was ultimately stopped in the 11th round of his second world title opportunity. In June 2013, Macklin challenged Golovkin and was knocked out by a brutal body shot in the 3rd round.
In the wake of that defeat, Macklin recruited former opponent Jamie Moore as trainer and he outpointed previously undefeated Lamar Russ in December.
"It's great to have an eliminator to put me straight back in the frame for another world title fight," Macklin said.
"Heiland is rated No 4 with the WBC so I'm sure he will be coming to Ireland with his own world title ambitions. It's a must win fight for me and it doesn't matter what he brings to the ring on August 30, he won't be beating me."
Also on the card, Olympic gold medallist Anthony Joshua (7-0, 7 KOs) will face Ukraine's Yaroslav Zavorotnyi (16-7, 14 KOs), who went 10 rounds with David Price in June, and Commonwealth super-flyweight champion Kal Yafai (11-0, 8 KOs) will defend his title against Belfast's Luke Wilton (16-4-1, 7 KOs).