Sam Eggington to defend titles against Dale Evans after Frankie Gavin withdrawal

Dale Evans has stepped up to challenge Sam Eggington for the British and Commonwealth welterweight titles following Frankie Gavin's withdrawal.

The 21-year-old Eggington (16-2-KO9) had been due to meet Gavin in their hometown of Birmingham but the former world amateur champion was forced to pull out due to a foot injury.

Eggington will instead face Wales' Evans (10-2-2-KO3), who beat him on points during the Prizefighter tournament in January 2013.

Promoter Eddie Hearn told Sky Sports: "Evans is coming off a good win in the welterweight division. We had a couple of options from Mexico but we've got a Briton who's been in training, is ready and explosive. It's exciting because he'd do anything to win those British and Commonwealth titles.

"He's the obvious choice - these domestic fights mean so much more and you don't know what you're going to get when you bring over a foreign fighter. You know what you're gonna get from Evans - he's exciting and explosive and has beaten Erick Ochieng and Adil Anwar."

Whether it will come up again down the line, I don't know, but the country knows I'm not scared of Frankie Gavin. We'll see what happens.

In an interview reported in the Express & Star, Eggington said: "Frankie was a nice fight for all of us, everyone wanted to see it and I wanted to be in it, but I have to move on. I'm not one for moping.

"Whether it will come up again down the line, I don't know, but the country knows I'm not scared of Frankie Gavin. We'll see what happens.

"I'm pleased to still be able to get another notch on the Lonsdale belt and happy to give Dale Evans this opportunity. He's a nice, down-to-earth lad.

"He's beat me, as well, so there's that angle and that can sell a fight on its own, as we've seen with Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte.

"I was so young when we fought and it was my first time making the weight or being on television, so it felt like a bit of a whirlwind.

"I'm a completely different animal know and Dale will see the difference in there."

Eggington was most recently in action in July when he defeated Glenn Foot with a seventh-round stoppage.