Boxing might be in shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, but life is sweet for Michael Conlan right now as he bakes cakes in the knowledge that his next fight is likely to be for a world title.
In addition to following a strict training regime in his garage, the featherweight from Belfast, Northern Ireland, has discovered baking during the lockdown. He's spending this unique time refining his kitchen skills at home with wife Shauna, 5-year-old daughter Luisne and 1-year-old son Michael Jr.
"The best thing I have done is banana bread, I've perfected it, and the hardest one was the Victoria Sponge," he said.
Conlan has documented much of his culinary efforts on his social media accounts, prompting many to jokingly wonder if featherweight will be a legitimate weight class for him upon return.
"Both were very nice, but I'm not eating everything I bake, I promise -- I would be a gorilla otherwise. I had never baked before lockdown, and I've just taught myself by following the recipes. It shows I've learned a skill I never knew I had before this crazy time we are all going through. I've enjoyed it, and I'll carry on baking. If I'm bored at the moment, I just starting baking."
But a new baking hobby is not the only development in the unbeaten contender's life, as American Shakur Stevenson intends to step up a division and vacate the WBO world featherweight title.
Stevenson (13-0, 7 KOs), 22, from Newark, New Jersey, won the WBO belt in October, but the 2016 Olympic silver medalist recently declared he will be moving up to junior lightweight instead of sticking around at featherweight.
Conlan and Stevenson had been due to box in New York in March on separate Top Rank Boxing cards, to be shown live on ESPN, but their fights were canceled just days before the event due to the pandemic.
Conlan (13-0, 7 KOs), 28, is No. 1 in the WBO rankings and, once boxing resumes, will therefore dispute the vacant belt against one of the other contenders: Ruben Villa (18-0, 5 KOs), from California, is No. 2; Ryan Walsh (26-2-2, 12 KOs), from England, is No. 3; and Jessie Magdaleno (27-1, 18 KOs), from Las Vegas, is at No. 4.
"It's looking that way that I will be fighting for the WBO belt next now," Conlan told ESPN. "I was meant to fight for some sort of belt this year in Belfast. The fact that it will become vacant and Stevenson is talking about moving up, and Stevenson versus Miguel Marriaga will not happen, should mean it will be me against another top-10 contender next for the belt.
"I would love for the fight to be late summer, but I don't have a clue at this stage. If it's late summer or even September, it would be in Belfast, and it would be for a belt. If it's not then, then who knows where it will be.
"I'm just trying to keep myself fit and sane at the moment; it's a weird time. I've got a gym in the garage where I've got a couple rowing machines, punch bag, speed ball, dumbbells ... I've got everything I want, except for a coach and sparring partners."
Conlan, who is promoted by Top Rank, hopes to challenge for his world title in his home city, possibly on the same card as fellow Belfast boxer Carl Frampton, who is waiting to see when his fight against Jamel Herring for the WBO world junior lightweight title -- originally set for Belfast on June 13 -- is rescheduled.
"Boxing on the same show as Carl Frampton, it could happen definitely now," Conlan added.
"Without coronavirus, we would have been on separate cards in Belfast this summer; now we don't know when or where we will box next. But you can't really worry about it because you can't control it."
Conlan is a big draw on both sides of the Atlantic after six appearances in New York. But he would not rule out boxing behind closed doors if it meant a return to action sooner.
"It's a possibility only because people need to eat, and you can't complain if you are getting paid," Conlan added.
"It will be boring without any supporters there, and even watching it on TV from a spectator's point of view will be weird. There will be no atmosphere, and obviously that will take away from it as an event, but if it means we get boxing back sooner, I would do it because as long as I'm getting paid, I don't care. It will be something for people to watch."
And hey, if they aren't watching him in the ring, maybe a gig on Food Network is his next play.