Ryan Garner set for Bournemouth return to defend EBU belt against Reece Bellotti

Ryan Garner poses with his EBU European super featherweight belt, which will be on the line against Reece Bellotti in the summer (Leigh Dawney Photography)

Ryan Garner’s next opponent has been confirmed, with the super featherweight set to defend his EBU title against Reece Bellotti.

Undefeated Garner, (7-0 (8), picked up the EBU strap in March at the Bournemouth International Centre with a unanimous decision over the then-unbeaten Salvador Jimenez.

Fighting out of Southampton, ‘The Piranha’ is set to travel to neighbouring Bournemouth on 26 July in a voluntary mandatory defence against Bellotti, 20-5 (15). Bellotti holds the the British and Commonwealth titles at super featherweight.

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Garner had been in talks with fellow Briton James ‘Jazza’ Dickens, 34-5 (14).

Aside from his EBU title, Garner also holds the WBC international strap, having successfully defended it four times since winning it against Juan Jesus Antunez.

Garner is seventh in the WBC’s ratings and 13th with the IBF. Belotti is ranked 21st by the WBC and is unlisted by the other big three boxing organisations.

27-year-old Garner will hope that victory over Bellotti catapults him higher up the super-featherweight division. The weight class has thrown up some eye-catching bouts recently, with Anthony Cacace and Leigh Wood going head-to-head last weekend.

Former IBF and current IBO champion Cacace managed to stop Wood in his own backyard.

Garner was twice set to fight Cacace, only for bouts to fall through in April 2022 and November 2023.

Garner has since admitted that either fight against Cacace would have come too soon for the Hampshire boxer, who is slowly building to world title contention.

Ever since becoming a professional, Garner has been signed to Frank Warren’s Queensbury Promotions.

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