Carl Frampton has parted ways with manager and mentor Barry McGuigan.
Frampton, the only Northern Irishman to have won world titles in two weight classes, had been guided by McGuigan since turning professional in 2009.
But it has been a forgettable year so far for the Belfast fighter, who surrendered his world featherweight title after suffering his first defeat as a professional to Leo Santa Cruz in their January rematch.
There was further frustration for 30-year-old Frampton when a homecoming bout against Andres Gutierrez on July 29th was unexpectedly called off at the 11th hour.
That contest was due to be an eliminator for the WBC featherweight crown but Frampton came in one pound over the 126lb limit and the event was scrapped altogether after Gutierrez sustained injuries after slipping in the shower.
Rumours of a split between Frampton and McGuigan and his Cyclone Promotions stable had been rife since that aborted fight and Frampton confirmed the separation on Monday.
In a statement on his Twitter account, Frampton said: “I can confirm that I have parted company with Barry McGuigan and Cyclone Promotions. I would like to thank Barry, the McGuigan family and Cyclone Promotions for our time together.
“Having taken time to consider my future and discussed it with those closest to me, I am confident that now is the right time to move forward and take my career into my own hands.
“I still believe that I’m the best featherweight in the world and I promise my fans that I am continuing with my efforts to get my homecoming fight rescheduled in the very near future.”
Frampton made no mention of whether he would continue to be trained by McGuigan’s son Shane, under whose tutelage he captured the IBF and WBA super-bantamweight titles and the WBA featherweight belt — the same title once held by his now ex-manager in the mid-1980s.
