Michael Conlan plans to move down in weight and targets world title shot before year is out

Everything's gone according to plan for Michael Conlan in his professional career so far.

Conlan has already won and defended the WBO inter-continental featherweight title and amassed a perfect record of 11-0 since his switch to the paid ranks in 2016. The Belfast fighter is now targeting world championships and remains hopeful of securing one before the year is out but his first ever crack at a world title may not take place at his current home of featherweight. Conlan has hinted at a drop from 126lbs to 122lbs after a bone density test led him to believe that he would be able to make super-bantamweight. First the 27-year-old will test the waters with a cut to 124lbs before ultimately deciding whether it would be wise to give 122lbs a go. "I've done Dexa (bone density) and bodyweight scans and in terms of muscle mass I'm well capable of getting down to 122lbs in a healthy way and I'd still have 10 per cent body fat," Conlan told the Irish News. https://twitter.com/espn/status/1107438702907846659?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1107438702907846659&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportsjoe.ie%2Fboxing%2Fmichael-conlan-expected-feature-upcoming-tyson-fury-card-196893 "Whether or not it's different when you actually do it (cut the weight) is going to be the test but it's something we're going to have to try. I could have weighed 124lbs for the last one (on St Patrick's Day) so I think I will weigh-in for the next one at 124lbs. "That will be a target because we have spoken to Top Rank and there are opportunities there for fighting for a world title before the end of the year if I can get down." If Conlan does end up fighting for super-bantamweight gold, he could well be facing another Irishman as TJ Doheny currently holds the IBF title at 122lbs but Doheny is set to meet WBA champ Daniel Roman in a unification clash later this month. Elsewhere in the division, WBO champion Emanuel Navarrete will defend his crown in a rematch with Isaac Dogboe next month while Rey Vargas has held the WBC belt since 2017. "I would be absolutely huge at super-bantam," Conlan added. "By the time I'm in the ring to fight at featherweight I'm a welterweight, so if I'm going in like that fighting super-bantamweights I'll have a bit of an advantage. "I'll go 124lbs for this one and see how I get on, I don't have to make it right away but just to know that I can get there is the test for me. I'll stay at 126lbs for the next one (in August) and once I get that out of the way I'll drop down."