History beckons for Burnett

Trainer Adam Booth has claimed Belfast’s Ryan Burnett will be ruthless in his bid to become a history-maker in his hometown tonight.

IBF world bantamweight champion Burnett bids to become only the second Irishman to unify world titles in one weight class – after fellow Belfast native Carl Frampton – when he takes on WBA title-holder Zhanat Zhakiyanov of Kazakhstan, live on Sky Sports at the SSE Odyssey Arena.

The 25-year-old also aims to be the first to achieve the feat on home soil as tonight’s bout is the first unification fight to ever take place in Ireland – north or south – with two of the four ‘major’ world 118lb belts on the line.