NINE months to the day of a surprisingly wide 12-round decision defeat by Willy Hutchinson in Riyadh, British light-heavyweight contender Craig Richards will find himself navigating choppy waters on away soil once again - this time knowing another loss could spell the end of his decade-long professional career.

Crystal Palace's Richards (18-4-1, 11 KOs) faces Belfast's own Padraig McCrory (19-1, 9 KOs) in the co-main event of Matchroom's eight-fight card headlined by an IBF welterweight title final eliminator between unbeaten hopefuls Lewis Crocker (20-0, 11 KOs) and Paddy Donovan (14-0, 11 KOs) at The SSE Arena, shown live on DAZN.

Richards fell short in his world title attempt against long-reigning WBA light-heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol in May 2021, lost a competitive 12-round decision to former amateur foe Joshua Buatsi during their O2 Arena headliner twelve months later and has since sparred now-former undisputed king Artur Beterbiev (21-1, 20 KOs).

However, the 34-year-old has suffered from inactivity through injuries and been unable to recapture the form which saw him claim British gold with a ninth-round stoppage win over Shakan Pitters the week before Christmas in 2020, a victory continuing to age well ever since given the Birmingham man's recent resurgence.

After a brief stint under Shane McGuigan, Richards has returned to familiar surroundings in Tony Sims' gym, where he previously worked under Tony's brother Peter.

Speaking to The Ring on the eve of fight night, the Essex-based trainer said: "Craig's got to win, I feel like at this stage of his life and career, if he doesn't, it's curtains.

The division is a really good one in the country at the moment, loads of big names and fights but obviously if he loses, it puts him in a really bad position, make him think what he's going to do with his career and where can he go after a loss to McCrory? It's quite a high-pressure fight but one he's capable of winning."

McCrory has flickered between super-middle and light-heavyweight during his career, winning the IBO's 175-pound title against 18-0 pro Leon Bunn in October 2022 after two successful defences of the WBC International Silver title at 168lbs.

He competed well as a considerable underdog before ultimately suffering a sixth-round knockout defeat by then-unbeaten contender Edgar Berlanga (22-1, 17 KOs) on his Stateside debut last February, after which Berlanga was rewarded with a Canelo Alvarez showdown on Mexican Independence Day seven months later.

Matchroom chief Eddie Hearn echoed Sims' sentiment, saying: "It's a big one for both, I think the loser is done and love those kind of high-stakes fights."

Sims, who has been alongside Conor Benn (23-0, 16 KOs) in Manchester and London for his media obligations ahead of his April 26 middleweight grudge match with Chris Eubank Jr, hailed last weekend's WBO interim light-heavyweight title bout between Joshua Buatsi and Callum Smith as inspiration for Richards to target.

"We knew Buatsi-Smith would be good but didn't expect it to be fantastic as it was, Calum put himself back in the window after a damaging Beterbiev defeat, right back in the frame.

Buatsi missed a couple of chances to fight for the world title and the loss has put him down a peg, Craig can go back in the picture again and that's what seems to happen in the division - Anthony Yarde and Lyndon Arthur both rebuilt, now they're fighting again - there are two elites [Bivol and Beterbiev], everyone else is fighting one another a rung beneath them."