'If Michael Conlan loses, his career is over', warns Eddie Hearn ahead of Jordan Gill showdown

Michael Conlan has no doubt he will avoid what promoter Eddie Hearn warns would be a career-ending loss against Jordan Gill in Belfast on Saturday.

The former amateur world champion and Olympic bronze medallist had spent four years building up his professional CV but the seemingly inevitable drive to a title twice derailed on the last leg of the journey over the last 18 months.

Conlan was stopped in the final round by Leigh Wood in March 2022, a WBA world featherweight title fight that he had dominated in the early stages.

He got back on track after that first career defeat with wins against Miguel Marriaga and Karim Guerfi but lost a second title shot to IBF champion Luis Alberto Lopez last May, the Mexican knocking him out in the fifth at the SSE Arena.

Now 32, Conlan (18-2-0) has moved up to super-featherweight for a tough test against Englishman Gill (27-2-1) that will either set him back on the road towards a third title tilt or prompt thoughts of retirement.

"If Michael Conlan loses, his career is over," said Matchroom boss Hearn. "But if he wins and wins well… What's ahead? [IBF super-featherweight champion] Joe Cordina? Josh Warrington? There are massive fights ahead.

"Michael sells. He's expected to beat Jordan Gill and he’s coming off a knockout defeat but we should have 7,000 in there on Saturday which is a big old crowd. You know he sells, you know the atmosphere will be fantastic and we have a lot of guys at 130lbs that he can fight.

"If he was to make a statement he will walk straight into a massive fight. If Conlan went to the City Ground in Nottingham [for a Leigh Wood rematch] he might bring 8-9,000. If he went to Cardiff [to fight Cordina] he’d take 5-6,000 or Joe might come here for a big outdoor show for the