IRELAND’S CAOMHÍN AGYARKO’S world title fight will be on the undercard for Anthony Joshua’s upcoming bout, it has been confirmed.

The Belfast native will come up against IBF light-middleweight champion Josh Kelly on 25 July in Saudi Arabia.

The event at the Jeddah Superdome will be headlined by Joshua’s return to the ring against Albania’s Kristian Prenga.

English boxer Kelly’s last fight in January saw him win the title at the expense of Russia’s Bakhram Murtazaliev, while Agyarko most recently prevailed via split decision against Englishman Ishmael Davis at Windsor Park.

Agyarko had been originally due to fight Brandon Adams in a final eliminator in April. However, the American collapsed before the weigh-in and was unable to fight, prompting the IBF to order another final eliminator between Agyarko and Murtazaliev.

But after Kelly was given the option of a voluntary first defence, the fight with Agyarko was arranged.

“I was heartbroken at the time [when the Adams fight was cancelled] and didn’t know what was going to happen after, whether I was going to have to fight in another eliminator or get the title fight, or even be left on the sidelines again,” Agyarko told BBC Sport Northern Ireland.

“I had just come off a 14-week camp, thousands of pounds spent away from my friends, my missus and family, so thankfully there’s been a silver lining, and my manager [Paul Ready] worked out a deal to get this fight over the line.

“It was disappointing that the IBF tried to order another final eliminator against Murtazaliev even though I’d done everything that was asked of me: turned up and was told 25 minutes before the weigh-in I wasn’t going to be fighting [against Adams].

“There was a silver lining; everything works in mysterious ways. I truly believe what’s for me won’t pass me, and that’s been shown.”