JOSH Taylor has confirmed he is set to make his first defence of his WBA and IBF world titles against Thailand's Apinun Khongsong.

The Prestonpans super lightweight champion – who added the WBA belt to his IBF title by beating highly rated American Regis Prograis on points in the final of the World Boxing Super Series in London last October – will have to fulfil his mandatory obligation against 23-year-old Khongsong before turning his attention to locking horns with WBC and WBO belt holder Jose Ramirez in a unification bout.

Like Taylor, Khongsong, who is the IBF's mandatory challenger, has won all of his 16 bouts, but the Thai boxer has only fought once outside of his home country.

Taylor is dreaming of getting his hands on all four belts in the 140lbs division but will also have to wait for the outcome of Ramirez’s defence against Ukrainian Viktor Postol on February 1.

Postol and Taylor have already squared off, having fought each other in the summer of 2018.

The fight, which took place at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow, saw Taylor emerge with a unanimous points decision over Postol, who previously held the WBC title.

Taylor said: “Ramirez has the mandatory against Postol in February and I have to do it with my IBF belt with this guy from Thailand.

“I need to get that out of the way and he needs to get Postol out of the way.

“Even if Postol comes through that he’ll be the guy I want because he’ll have the two belts.”

Taylor, who split with Barry McGuigan's Cyclone Promotions last week after signing with American promoters Top Rank, is hoping to be on home soil against Khongsong but concedes he will likely have to travel across the Atlantic for a potential bout with American Ramirez.

Speaking to IFLTV, he added: “I’m hoping I’ll have a defence in Scotland before then going Stateside to chase the Ramirez fight.

“I can’t see Ramirez coming over here, I’d push for it but I have to go to America.

“I’ll go there and see my name up in bright lights.

"The future is bright and I can’t wait to get going.

“That fight has to happen at some point this year, that's my goal and focus, becoming undisputed king and be the first [Scottish] man to do it since Ken Buchanan.”