Former world champion Lee Haskins attempts to put himself in contention for a big fight -- perhaps for the last time -- when he takes on Davey Oliver Joyce in Belfast on Saturday Feb. 1, live in the U.S. on ESPN+ in association with Top Rank.
Haskins (36-4, 14 KOs), from Bristol in England, made two defenses as IBF world bantamweight titleholder from 2016 to 2017, but, aged 37, is nearing the end of a professional boxing career that began 17 years ago.
"As I'm getting older I want to see what else I can do to add to my legacy," Haskins said.
"Training has been going really good and I'm in a happy place and enjoying it again. After the two years out I think I needed a good break to get the hunger back."
Haskins worked his way up from fighting in small halls and sports centers around the southwest of England, winning British, Commonwealth and European titles. He only missed out on boxing in Las Vegas when Randy Caballero failed to make weight in November 2015, and the Bristol boxer was awarded the IBF belt without throwing a punch as he was already interim champion.
Haskins lost the IBF belt on a unanimous decision to Ryan Burnett in Belfast in June 2017 and has registered just two wins from as many fights since. Haskins is back at the scene of his last defeat, hoping to revive his career after boxing on the same bill as his son Anton last October.
Joyce, from Mullingar in the Republic of Ireland, needs to win for reasons of his own at the Ulster Hall in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
The 32-year-old (11-1, 8 KOs), who competed at the 2016 Olympics, suffered his first professional defeat when Leigh Wood stopped him in the ninth round in October.
Joyce stepped up a division to featherweight to take on Wood as part of the Golden Contract tournament, shown live on ESPN+, but returns to junior featherweight for this fight.
Haskins, who has lost just once in eight years, has the experience, but does he have the energy and hunger still?
"I believe my skill over the years and my knowledge really could help me in this fight, but take all that away and I still believe it's going to be a hard fight, so that's why I've pushed myself," Joyce said.
Joyce will also be motivated by a sympathetic crowd and it should inspire the Irishman to just about do enough to beat slippery, awkward southpaw Haskins on points.
"This fight here will bring me back to where I belong," Joyce said.
"I've made weight so easily at featherweight and now I'm moving down to super-bantamweight after making a few changes."