Monday 15 August 2016 10:53, UK
Jamie McDonnell is set to fight fellow WBA bantamweight champion Rau'shee Warren before stepping up a division.
Trainer Dave Coldwell said America's Warren (14-1 KO4), who holds the 'Super' version of the WBA title at 118lbs, is likely to be the final assignment for "underrated" McDonnell before he seeks fresh challenges at a heavier weight.
This could be his final fight at bantamweight before he steps up to super-bantamweight, hopefully for a big fight against someone like Scott Quigg.
"The Warren fight is very close so fingers crossed," Coldwell exclusively told Sky Sports.
"We're just sorting things out. Hopefully that's the fight that's next, it's the fight that Jamie wants. Jamie wants to fight the best out there, he wants fights that will get him respect.
"This could be his final fight at bantamweight before he steps up to super-bantamweight, hopefully for a big fight against someone like Scott Quigg."
Coldwell insists that McDonnell (28-2-1 KO13) is chasing super-bantamweights in pursuit of the recognition that has passed him by despite winning two bantamweight world titles.
Twenty consecutive wins have yielded the IBF and WBA titles, while the WBO belt only eluded him because Tomoki Kameda was forced to vacate it before losing twice to McDonnell.
"Jamie is, without doubt, our most underrated world champion," Coldwell said. "We've got a great set of world champions in Britain but he's the guy that people forget about.
"This man has held the IBF title, he should have held the WBO, he's got the WBA title, he's gone abroad, he keeps winning and he keeps getting better.
"You'll see the best of him when he steps up to super-bantamweight - the extra four pounds he's not having to lose.
We're talking about a guy who's a touch above 5'10'' who's making 8st 6lbs. He's not thin - he's wide shouldered. I can't wait for him to move up."
