John Ryder to face Jack Arnfield in Manchester on September 24

Middleweight hopeful John Ryder will clash with fellow British title challenger Jack Arnfield on the undercard of Anthony Crolla v Jorge Linares in Manchester on September 24.

Southpaw Ryder (23-2-KO12) fell short in his second shot at the crown in May 2015 when he was stopped by Nick Blackwell, who made his second defence with a points victory over Arnfield (20-2-KO5).

"It's great to be back out and in a good fight with Jack," said Ryder. "I had a good win in January against Khomitsky and then a six-rounder in May, so this has come at a good time for me.

"I had a couple of cuts in the Sergey Khomitsky fight that needed to heal so it's no-one's fault that I've been out for a bit, but it has made me really hungry for this fight. I might have lost a bit of momentum but I've been training hard and everything is on track."

"Jack called me out on Instagram with a few other names and he's got his wish now, so let's see what he's got. I'm looking forward to it though, fighting in his backyard with his fans there, it should be a good atmosphere and I'm expecting a hard fight.

"I'm not looking past Jack at all but if I can get a good win against him and get out again before Christmas, then I will be at the front of the queue for a big fight at the start of the 2017."

Blackpool's Arnfield stands 6'2" and will boast a five-inch height advantage over the Londoner, who is on a run of three straight points victories.