Anthony Yarde is eyeing an all-British showdown against Joshua Buatsi.
The 32-year-old marked his return to a boxing ring with a two-round destruction of the durable Jorge Silva, a 40-year-old veteran Portuguese fighter, at Wembley Arena on Saturday.
It was the first time Yarde had laced up his gloves in a competitive sense since losing a fight of the year unified light-heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev in January.
The Ilford fighter is keen to get back into the world title picture and will be at ringside when Buatsi meets Dan Azeez in a domestic clash at the 02 Arena in London on October 21.
Yarde believes a potential meeting with Buatsi would trail only Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua as the biggest fight British boxing has to offer.
A rivalry between the two has been brewing and Yarde says “it seems like when I see him and we talk, we genuinely want to fight each other.
"It would be such a big event for boxing and for London as well."
He told the Toe2Toe podcast: “Everyone that watches boxing knows my personality, my mindset - I’ve proven that I don’t shy away from any fight.
"We have teams, and my team have told me they want me out on this date [December]. Next year, we’re going to look for the big fights - Josh Buatsi, possible title shots.
"But the Buatsi fight has to happen because it’s a fight that’s been called for for too long."
