It may have taken longer to arrive than many predicted, but Jack Bateson's big moment is finally here.

The 31-year-old from Leeds has the opportunity to gatecrash the higher reaches of the featherweight division when taking on Michael Conlan in a 10-round contest at Dublin's 3Arena on September 5th.

While Irish hero Conlan (19-3, 9 KOs) is hoping to use the fight as a springboard back to a third world title challenge, Bateson knows he must secure a career-best victory to keep alive aspirations of campaigning at the highest level.

Bateson was touted as a potential star when he turned professional in 2017 but has found it hard to secure major fights and opportunities, having been harshly pushed to one side after suffering the sole defeat of his career; a final round stoppage defeat by talented IBO junior featherweight titlist Shabaz Masoud in November 2022.

The former English 122-pound champion has been waiting for a chance like this.

"There's been talks about it for six or seven months now," Bateson told The Ring.

"I heard at first that he didn't want it, then he was going the European title route, it came up so I'm buzzing. It's a big opportunity and one I need to take with both hands.

"I thought it was dead in the water once I started hearing about him maybe fighting Josh [Warrington] and then I was looking for opportunities and just waiting, waiting.

"I was in the gym, don't get me wrong, I've been working hard. It's come at a perfect time and I feel like it's a good fight for me."

Bateson and Conlan will have first become aware of each other when they were teenagers.

When Conlan won flyweight silver at the tough 2013 European Amateur Championships, Bateson took bronze in the light flyweight division for Team GB. Later that year, they both made the trip to Kazakhstan for the amateur world championships.

A lot has happened since the days they spent travelling the world as elite amateurs but they have sparred as professionals and will know exactly what to expect from one another when the bell rings on Sept. 5.

"We've both been in the game a long time," Bateson said, "We've shared rounds sparring but sparring is sparring as we know. I do think it can be a good boxing match but it can turn into a good scrap and, listen, Michael can box, he can fight.

"I believe I can too, but believe I can be better on the night and there's more pressure on him. There's no pressure on me in this fight.”

Conlan is 33 and hasn't shied away from the fact his next loss will spell the end of his career but although he hasn’t quite managed to reach the heights many anticipated, his name still carries plenty of weight and his fights generate interest aplenty.

Bateson (20-1-1, 6 KOs) is just two years younger than Conlan and has no intention of walking away from the sport.

He expects the Irishman to be as good as he can be but believes the fight and occasion provide him with the ideal opportunity to finally announce himself to a wider audience.

"I think he still loves the game and he wants to achieve," Bateson said. "I just don't think he's got it left in him, but it's all talk, isn’t it? You know what it is. I need to do the business on the night and I'm prepared for the best Michael Conlan possible.

"If I turn up, I'm very capable of winning and if I prepare for the best Conlan, that's all I can do. I just need to do my best on the night and hopefully that'll be enough."