Paul Butler vacates IBF bantamweight title

Paul Butler has revealed that the next target in his career is to win a world title at super-flyweight after deciding to relinquish his IBF bantamweight belt.

The Brit stepped up a weight class to beat Stuart Hall for his world strap last month, but after considering a unification clash with Jamie McDonnell, Butler will drop down a division for his next fight.

The 25-year-old is quoted by World Boxing News as saying: "It's a beautiful belt and hard to relinquish as it's the first world title that I have won, but I knew that it was always going to be the case that if I won, I would have to return it and go back down to super-flyweight.

"When the opportunity came to fight Hall for the title, I knew that it was a fight that I could win so I jumped at it with both hands. To become a world champion in just my 16th fight was a dream come true.

"However, I'm a natural 115-pounder and my aim now is to win a title at super-fly and achieve another dream of mine in becoming a two-weight world champion in reverse."

Butler could try to earn a shot at the IBF super-flyweight title in his next bout.