LONDON, England - Eddie Hearn is expecting The Ring and undisputed champion Katie Taylor to vacate her WBC junior welterweight title this month with a return not likely until 2026.

Taylor currently holds all of the belts having won them back in her Dublin rematch with Chantelle Cameron in November 2023.

She has since successfully defended them in back-to-back victories over Amanda Serrano but now the pressure is on from the WBC to defend against Cameron, who has been her long-time mandatory challenger.

The WBC last month ordered Taylor to face her rival from Northampton in a trilogy fight and gave the two teams 30 days to reach an agreement on the fight. However, as reported by The Ring, Taylor’s team requested an extension on that period and have been granted an additional 21 days to make a deal.

Cameron, who is currently the WBC’s interim champion at 140 pounds, revealed she was surprised by the request given the two sides have not held any negotiations whatsoever. Now Taylor’s promoter Hearn has told The Ring that he expects the Irish legend to vacate or be put into recess despite the extension.

He said: “The issue is time. I don't think Katie's thinking about fighting now and she's not going to fight until next spring at the earliest.

“When you you get a purse bid at the end of a negotiation period, the fight's got to happen within 90 days, which is at the moment December 1. We're miles away from fighting on that date at the moment.

“We're going to catch up with [Taylor’s manager] Brian Peters and Katie when we're in Ireland for the Paddy Donovan against Lewis Crocker fight later this month [Sept. 13]. We will then just decide what we're going to do.

“I don't think Katie’s going to be dictated to by a governing body but the problem is if she fights again, I don't see her fighting until next spring, summer.

“So that means based on the current situation she will have to vacate. But she does have some injury niggles from the last fight so perhaps she gets put into recess. I don’t know.”

Hearn had been in conversation with Cameron’s promoter Nakisa Bidarian, the co-founder of MVP, who recently told the BBC that he hopes to stage Taylor-Cameron III outdoors at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland.

But the Matchroom boss revealed that he suggested a clash with another of his fighters for Cameron.

“I said to Nakisa that I think the fight is Chantelle Cameron against Sandy Ryan,” he added. “Because style-wise I just think it’s an absolute thriller.”

Ryan, the former WBO welterweight champion, has not boxed since March when she dropped a unanimous decision in her rematch against Mikaela Mayer following defeat to her six months earlier.

But Ryan is hoping to get back to winning ways on Saturday in Sunderland when she faces Jade Grierson (5-0-1, 2 KOs). Hearn added: “Sandy’s fight in Sunderland is going to be at about 143 pounds so she will be a bit lighter than she was at welterweight.

“I think she would be up for getting down to 140 if it meant a fight with Chantelle.”