Karim Guerfi has called for a showdown against a former world champion after his next fight was postponed.

The European bantamweight champion had been set to defend his title against Lee McGregor at the Production Park Studios in Wakefield on November 11, exclusively live on iFL TV worldwide and ESPN + Stateside.

But McGregor was recently ruled out of the clash after contracting COVID-19 leaving the Frenchman without a foe.

As a result, the former IBO bantamweight title challenger implored MTK Global, his management company, to make a fight against his fellow MTK-managed fighter –– and former IBF world champion –– Paul Butler, who boxed just last month at the same venue.

“If Lee McGregor can’t fight, why [don’t you] give me a big fight against Paul Butler?” Guerfi asked of MTK on social media. “I’ll take the fight for the EBU [title] or [any] other [title], it’s not a problem for me.

“This guy [has had] a protected career, this guy is a scam of boxing.”

Butler, a former British and Commonwealth super-flyweight king who won numerous international baubles at both eight-stone three and eight-stone six before being crowned the world champion against Stuart Hall in Newcastle back in 2014, outpointed the game Ryan Walker by 79 points to 73 at the South Kirkby venue last time out and he reacted to the call-out almost immediately.

“[I’ll fight you] whenever, you daft c--t, but you need to concentrate on your next opponent, kid, [because] you’ll be begging for a big fight after the ‘L’.”

MTK Global confirmed, when they announced McGregor’s positive COVID-19 result, that they would look to reschedule the fight at between Guerfi and the current British and Commonwealth champion, from Scotland, at the earliest available opportunity –– but it seems Guerfi is keener on a crack at ‘The Baby-Faced Assassin’.

“If [there is no] new date next week for Lee McGregor, the fight will be out and we can fight together,” was the response of Guerfi, who has a record of 29-4 (9 KOs) against Butler’s 32-2 (15) ledger.