When 2025 began, Josh Padley was an ascending but little-known fighter who was thrust into the limelight when he filled in as a late replacement to face WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson on February 22.

Now, just under one year after he turned in a valiant effort in a ninth-round stoppage defeat to Stevenson, he’ll have a chance to fight for a belt. Padley will face Jaouad Belmehdi for the vacant European junior lightweight title on a Matchroom card in late January, per the European Boxing Union’s situation of titles page.

Since suffering the defeat to Stevenson, Padley (17-2, 5 KOs), 29, has rattled off two straight wins, a fifth-round stoppage of Marko Cvetanovic and a unanimous decision victory over Reece Bellotti in his most recent outing on October 11. Padley of Doncaster, Yorkshire, England, is ranked No. 5 by the WBA at junior lightweight and No. 15 by the IBF at lightweight.

Padley’s bout against Bellotti was at junior lightweight.

Belmehdi (23-2-3, 11 KOs) of Beziers, Hérault, France, is coming off a unanimous decision defeat to Xu Can on Aug. 15. Prior to the loss, Belmehdi, 27, had won seven in a row, including four by stoppage.