Tyrone Nurse will take on Derby's Dave 'Rocky' Ryan for the vacant Commonwealth light-welterweight title at Leeds Arena on October 4.
It's an unexpected development for Huddersfield's mandatory British title challenger, who had expected to face an African or Australian in the first of two championship bouts in as many months.
The 24-year-old has a British title shot in Liverpool on November 29, but according to trainer Chris Aston, is thinking only about the Commonwealth clash.
Ryan, 31, has held the Midlands area belt and will go into the fight in the back of wins against one-time WBA world title challenger Paul McCloskey and John Hibbert.
"He's called Rocky for a reason, and he's a big, strong boxer who is a decent puncher and can be a real handful," said Aston.
"Dave had a really good battle with Curtis Woodhouse a couple of years ago, losing only on points, and he beat Hibbert in his own backyard.
"But Tyrone has never turned down a fight against a British boxer, and he wants to win the Commonwealth and British titles back to back, even if it has to be the hard way."
While Ryan has 15 wins and eight defeats as a professional, Nurse is 29-1 and has previously held the Central, English and British Masters
belts at 10st.
