UNDEFEATED boxing world champion Josh Taylor will finally step back into the ring this summer to take on a former lightweight world champ.

WBO light-welterweight title holder Taylor will defend the belt against American Teófimo López at Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 10.

The bout will be Taylor’s first since he retained his WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO titles against Jack Catterall at the end of February last year.

Taylor won that contest in Glasgow by split decision, a result which many felt was controversial.

He has since vacated his other three world titles.

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The only blemish on López’s 18-1 record came in November 2021 when he lost his WBA, IBF and WBO lightweight titles to George Kambosos Jr in the New York venue.

Since then, the 25-year-old has stepped up a weight class to light-welterweight, defeating Pedro Campa and Sandor Martin in his first two fights at the weight.

Taylor has already predicted that the bout will finish by knockout in his favour, suggesting it would be over within “six to eight rounds”.

Speaking to Sky Sports Boxing, he said: “These are the kind of fights – the likes of Teófimo and all these big names in the sport – that keep the motivation and the fire burning in my belly and give me that excitement and that buzz in my belly.”