By Shaun Brown

IBF featherweight champion Lee Selby (22-1, 8 KOs) may have to wait until April before returning to the ring.

Selby, 28, won his first world title last May when an outclassed Evgeny Gradovich was stopped in the eighth round due to a cut with Selby comfortably ahead on all three scorecards.

After a successful maiden defence against Fernando Montiel in October, Selby must now the winner of Eric Hunter (21-3, 11 KOs) and Argentina's Jonathan Barros (40-4-1, 22 KOs) who meet on January 16 in a final eliminator.

Despite some uncertainty from this side of the pond as to whether or not Hunter and Barros would be fighting one another, the IBF confirmed to Boxing Scene today (January 4) that the fight will take place on the mentioned date

As per the IBF’s rules Selby’s team will then be given 30 days to negotiate with the winner with the fight then having to take place within 90 days.

Having fought overseas last time out, Selby’s promoter Eddie Hearn – speaking last week to Boxing Scene – said he was keen for ‘The Barry Boy Assassin’ to have a homecoming in his next fight. Hearn, however, tentatively ruled out the Welshman's second world title defence taking place on Matchroom’s April 9 show in London which features Anthony Joshua, Ricky Burns and a match-up between Matthew Macklin and Brian Rose which ‘Scene reported on last week.

Shaun Brown is Boxing Scene’s UK News Editor. Follow him on Twitter @sbrown2pt0 Contact him at sbrownboxing@gmail.com