Michael Conlan eyes final push as he headlines 3Arena debut in September

After 15 months out of the ring, Belfast boxer Michael Conlan made his return in March this year to defeat Asad Asif Khan in Brighton.

It was a long road since December 2023, when he was defeated by Jordan Gill in Belfast, and for the first time in his professional career, lost two fights in a row.

Prior to that, Conaln's second chance at a world title did not go his way when he lost to Luis Alberto Lopez.

After the Gill defeat, it looked like Conlan's days could be over.

Speaking to Breakingnews.ie, Conlan said time away from the sport made him focus on what he needs to do on his return to boxing.

"There were doubts in my head, but once I looked at my goals, and saw my vision of what I wanted to do, I knew I still wasn't done.

"I looked to the future, and saw and understood what was left in me, if I can still achieve what I want to achieve. I believe that is still in me, and I can get there; that is my reason for coming back.

"I have goals and things I want to achieve. It is hard to get back into the swing of things, but now I am back in full flow, and I am in a good place."

Not one to relax and sit still out of the ring, Conlan kept active and fit in his time away from the sport, both for body and mind.

"I've done an awful lot of running. I did a marathon during that time, I always need to do something to keep myself occupied, keep my mind occupied, or I might lose my mind.

"I did a two-hour 55-minute marathon in Manchester last year on my time off.

"In terms of watching boxing, I could watch boxing no problem, but the thing is I don't watch much boxing anyway.

"I don't watch anything to do with my work. I have been in boxing for 27 years, it is a long time. It is not something I want to be around or focus on a lot."

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