Fabio Wardley will box for the world heavyweight title within the next 12 months if he can beat Jarrell Miller.

That was the roadmap laid out by promoter Frank Warren, who has matched Wardley with Big Baby Miller for the WBA interim title at Ipswich Town’s Portman Road on June 7.

Undefeated Wardley, 30, is currently 18-0-1 (17) and has climbed to No.9 in the Ring Magazine rankings while he is currently the No.1 ranked heavyweight with the WBA.

As such, they have agreed to sanction this 12-round showdown for their interim title and Warren says that will line him up perfectly for a world title shot.

The Hall of Fame promoter told The Ring: “If he wins this he will fight for the world title within 12 months. He beats him and he won’t sit around waiting, he will have a fight or two in between but a world title within a year.

But Jarrell Miller represents a massive step and it needs to be given what is at stake. This is for the interim belt and I know some fans don’t value them but these are the things that put you in position as far as sanctioning bodies are concerned, where you can’t be ignored.”

This will be Wardley’s first fight since he demolished Frazer Clarke inside a round of their British heavyweight title rematch in Riyadh on October 12.

Miller, meanwhile, is without a win since March 2023 when the 333lb New Yorker stopped Lucas Brown in the sixth round of their Dubai contest. He has since been stopped by Daniel Dubois and drawn with Andy Ruiz but insists Wardley has bitten off more than he can chew here.

Warren said: “This is a big step for Fabio. This is it and we’ve got to see what he’s about.

“When you look at him you’ve got to remember he’s had no amateur experience, he’s come oft the white-collar circuit and it says a lot about him, what he’s done and what’s managed to achieve with that background.

“He’s a fighting man at heart and he loves it. He’s a great ambassador for boxing. He speaks well, he’s always very pleasant even though the stuff at the press conference was crap.

“He can fight too. He was in the Fight of the Year last year and then in the second one he left no doubt with maybe the Knockout of the Year. He does the business here and then we will know he is ready for that step to the world title."

Wardley's compatriot Daniel Dubois currently holds the IBF belt while Ring Magazine champion Oleksandr Usyk holds the WBO, WBA and WBC straps.