Billy Joe Saunders begins comeback with fight against Zoltan Sera on Warrington vs Frampton undercard

Saunders has not fought in 2018 having relinquished his WBO title earlier this year

Billy Joe Saunders will make his boxing return later this month, when he takes on the Hungarian journeyman Zoltan Sera on the Josh Warrington vs Carl Frampton undercard in Manchester.

Saunders has not fought since December 2017, when he stylishly outpointed David Lemieux in Canada to defend his WBO middleweight title.

He then twice withdrew from title fights with domestic rival Martin Murray, before a planned title defence against Demetrius Andrade was scrapped when Saunders tested positive for the banned substance oxilofrine in August. The 29-year-old relinquished his WBO before he could be stripped and was banned from fighting for the sanctioning body for six months.

The British Boxing Board of Control however took no action as the failed Voluntary Anti-Doping Test was out of competition. Saunders has maintained his innocence, blaming the failed test on a decongestant nasal spray.

He will return on the December 22 card at the Manchester Arena, in a tune-up fight against 33-year-old Sera, who has a professional record of 32-17-1.

The Hungarian has fought in the United Kingdom three times in a nomadic career – against Joe Selkirk, Liam Smith and Adam Etches – losing on each occasion.

Earlier in the week promoter Frank Warren had indicated that Saunders was close to a comeback was close although expressed doubt his man would ever get a chance to fight lineal middleweight king Canelo Alvarez.

Canelo won the WBA (Super), WBC and lineal titles when he controversially defeated Gennady Golovkin in a close rematch in September, but Warren believes the Mexican is ducking Saunders. Canelo fights Rocky Fielding in New York on Saturday night.

“I don’t think Canelo would ever fight him. I didn’t think (Canelo) wanted to fight him when (Saunders) was champion,” Warren told Fight Hub TV.

“They talked about it. We never got it over the line. I think especially when he beat Lemieux that night, I remember looking down the line at [Golden Boy executive] Eric Gomez, and I thought to myself, ‘You’ve just absolutely done yourself out of that Canelo fight, they won’t fight you after that performance.’

“It is styles. It is all about styles. You know what you’ve got with Golovkin. He’s a great fighter, Golovkin, no doubt about that, and he did do well, but Bill is a very difficult guy to beat. If he’s up for it and he’s 100 percent — he’s a bit like Tyson (Fury), he’s a very difficult guy to beat. I mean, you saw it. He took Lemieux to school.”

Billy Joe Saunders has not fought in 2018 (Rex)

The addition of Saunders to an already strong Warrington vs Frampton card comes as a significant boost to Warren, who is going head-to-head with his long-term rival Eddie Hearn on December 22. Heavyweights Dillian Whyte and Dereck Chisora will fight at The O2 at Matchroom’s final event of 2018.

Popular Irishman Michael Conlan and Paddy Barnes will both feature in Manchester, while Tommy Fury – the younger brother of lineal heavyweight champion, Tyson – is due to make his professional debut.

The promising Nathan Gorman will continue his rise up the heavyweight division with a fight against Alex Leapai, while Liam Williams challenges Mark Heffron for the British Middleweight title in the co-main event.