DONEGAL MIDDLEWEIGHT JASON Quigley will return to the ring just seven weeks after his comeback victory over Abraham Cordero when he fights an as-of-yet unnamed opponent at The OC Hangar in Costa Mesa, California, on 23 January.

Quigley suffered his first career reversal at the hands of Tureano Johnson last year before appointing former WBO middleweight world champion Andy Lee as his new trainer, rebounding with a third-round stoppage of Cordero under the tutelage of the Limerick man before Christmas.

The 28-year-old former amateur star, who boasts a professional record of 17-1 (13KOs), is currently undergoing a training camp with Lee in Los Angeles alongside Top Rank prodigy Paddy Donovan (3-0, 2KOs). Lee will also be part of Tyson Fury’s camp for the former World heavyweight champion’s rematch with American kingpin Deontay Wilder next month.

“It’s all about momentum now,” Quigley said. “I need to get in again, keep it fresh and get out of there ASAP to keep the ball rolling.

“I stayed in shape over Christmas and kept ticking over. This shows that I was right to do that. I was in the gym most days. If I had taken a long break over Christmas I mightn’t have been able to take a fight date as quickly again and it would’ve been a chance missed.

Me and Andy are keen to keep the flow going. We are working on things and trying to improve, tighten up on some other things. This is a perfect opportunity again.

“It’s an exciting time. What’s important now in 2020 is driving on and achieving what I want to achieve.

My aim and my goal is to become the world champion. I’ve seen it in training and I’ve felt it myself: there is a change there and click of things back in place again.

“I’m excited for what’s to come.”

Quigley has never previously fought before March in a calendar year, but victory later this month could potentially open the door to a bigger fight near St Patrick’s Day when high-level Irish fighters tend to be in demand Stateside.