Ten years ago Belfast's Wayne McCullough won a silver medal at the Barcelona Olympics, seven years ago he won the World Boxing Council bantamweight title in Japan and two years ago his career looked over when he failed a routine brain scan and lost his licence to fight in Britain.

McCullough, 32, refused to accept the British Boxing Board of Control's decision and earlier this year he defied the board's doctors to fight again in Las Vegas because he knew that he would get his British licence back because he had passed subsequent scans.

In June, having a passed a board scan, McCullough received news that he would get a British licence and, for the first time since 1995, he will fight in Britain when he meets South Africa's Johannes Maisa at York Hall, Bethnal Green, on 14 September. If he wins, he will box three weeks later before returning to his base in Las Vegas.

"It has been a frustrating wait but I never stopped believing that I would fight again," said McCullough. "The board has wasted two years of my life and now I just have to get back on with my career and win another world title."

"It has taken a longer than it should have to resolve this issue," said Frank Warren, who will be in charge of this the latest and possibly final stage of the boxer's career. "I would not be involved with Wayne if I thought that there was a problem."