KEIGHLEY super featherweight Ibrahim Nadim is taking on his toughest opponent yet since his comeback, as he faces Mexican Erick Omar Lopez (16-15-2) in Bolton.

And if he can defeat Lopez at the De Vere Whites Hotel on Saturday, he will be keeping an eye on one particular event at the Bowlers Exhibition Centre in Manchester on November 16 this year, as he looks to make his next steps.

Steeton-born Nadim (11-1) told the Keighley News: “If I get the win on Saturday, I’m going to go for a 50-50 fight next.

“If I don’t get a Central Area or an English title bout, which I was hoping for, I just want to try and get into a proper 50-50 fight.

“If I can get either of those title bouts though, I think I’d be in line to fight for one of them early next year.

“They’re being fought for on the same card in November, with Adam Rasool and Faraqat Ali for the Central, then Josh Holmes and Lewis Wood for the English title.”

Ricky Hatton-trained Nadim knows he cannot get ahead of himself though, with this bout against Lopez just his third since a 16-month hiatus from the ring which only ended on June 29.

He said: “It’s good to be back and I got two pretty good performances under my belt in the summer.

“It’s definitely been the plan to build up my level of opponent since my return.

“Ideally, I wanted to be fighting boxers on my level earlier than this, but because I was out for a long time, I just wanted to see how those injuries held up.

“They’ve been fine though, so I don’t see why I can’t get back up there again.

“I’m hopeful, because those two fights for the Central Area and English titles are happening in mid-November, and I should be capable of taking on the winner of one of those.”

And this is very much Nadim 2.0, who had a long time out of the ring to stew on his surprise defeat to Tinko Banabakov in March 2023, the only loss of his professional career to date.

The 25-year-old said: “I feel like, after that defeat and the time I had off with injury, I’ve improved loads since then.

“I feel like I’ve made up for and ironed out those mistakes I was making before.”

And he feels in better shape than ever heading into this potential banana skin fight against Lopez, who fought for the WBC Silver Flyweight title only last year in his native country, losing to Josue Morales by unanimous decision.

Ibrahim Nadim has put in the hard yards at training since his comeback.Ibrahim Nadim has put in the hard yards at training since his comeback. (Image: ringwalkmedia12.)

Nadim said: “I feel like this has probably been one of my best-ever training camps.

“I’ve been injury-free, so I’ve managed to get loads of sparring in, and some good rounds in general.”

This is Nadim’s second fight in Bolton since his comeback, while the three before his hiatus all took place in Oldham.

Asked about him seemingly taking a liking to Lancashire, Nadim said: “It depends where I can get a show and which promoter my team and I are working with at that time.

“I’m getting on Steve Wood’s shows currently, and he puts most of his on in Manchester, Salford and Bolton, so I’m jumping on them for now.

“Whatever show I can get really, because it’s best for me to keep busy now I’m back in the ring.”