Sykes lined up to face old foe Buckland

The British Boxing Board of Control have requested purse bids from promoters to stage the fight, which must take place before the end of October.

Sykes suffered the only defeat of his career when he was knocked out by Buckland in the three-round Prizefighter competition last November but he fully expects a different outcome over the 12-round championship distance.

Sykes will relish the chance to set the record straight and there is the added incentive for the Dewsbury Moor man that victory would see him win the Lonsdale belt outright.

A venue and date for the fight will be announced when the purse bid has finished but Sykes will press for it to be in his home town.

Sykes said: “When I fought in Prizefighter, I had less then three weeks to prepare but this time I will have a proper camp and will be fully prepared.

“If I win, it would earn me the belt outright and maybe then, people will stop going on about Prizefighter.”

Sykes will get an early chance to see Buckland as the Cardiff man is set to fight in Mexico on Sunday morning on the undercard to Ryan Rhodes’s world title fight.

Sykes retained his British title by defeating Carl Johanneson in March and he will have a warm-up fight on July 23, with a possible European fighter being lined up for a six-round non-title contest in Huddersfield.

Tickets for that fight are available by calling Mark Waters on 07890 071883.