Lee McGregor to fight for world title at Meadowbank this summer

The 26-year-old Capital fighter will face tricky Mexican Erik Robles Ayala on Friday, July 21 as he looks forward to a new chapter after signing a long-term promotion deal with Wasserman Boxing earlier this month. The duel will also be broadcast live on Channel 5 and will be McGregor's first bout at 122lbs.

It's been a testing few years for the former Meadowbank amateur due to a lack of action in the ring. His last outing was in Newcastle, in March, but he has fought just four times in almost two and a half years.

“It’s a big fight, it’s a life changing fight for me,” said McGregor, whose training base is in Essex. “I didn’t think it would be possible to go straight back into a big title fight like this, and so when it got put forward, it was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down.

Edinburgh boxer Lee McGregor has a world title fight on the horizon

“It’s going to get the fans buzzing, get people talking about me again and so I need to go in and put on a performance to pick up this belt and add it to my collection.

“But it is very, very risky with these fights. We’ve seen time and time again with Mexicans coming over to the UK and upsetting people, so I need to be switched on.”

Ayala, 23, who has suffered just one loss in 13 fights, said: "On July 21, in Edinburgh, I will add my name to the long list of world champions from Mexico. Everyone expects McGregor to win this fight, he is the favourite and he has his home fans on his side, but he has never faced a Mexican fighter before.

"Next month, he will learn all about the Mexican fighting spirit.”

Kalle Sauerland, head of boxing at Wasserman, added: "We had an incredible reaction when we revealed Lee would be fighting back in Edinburgh, so today’s news that he will also be fighting for the IBO world title, is going to send his fans wild."