Terence Crawford will defend WBO title against Dierry Jean on Oct. 24

Terence Crawford hasn't fought since April, but he'll be back on Oct. 24.

The WBO champion will defend his junior welterweight against Canadian Dierry Jean at the CenturyLink Center in his hometown of Omaha, Neb., it was announced Thursday. Paste BN Sports reported earlier this month Jean was likely to get the call.

Jean (29-1, 20 KOs) lost to Lamont Peterson in his lone high-profile fight. After the defeat, he dropped to 135 pounds, but would have to move back to 140 for this opportunity. The 33-year-old from Montreal has reeled off four consecutive wins since the defeat to Peterson in 2014.

"I think it's a huge opportunity, and that's what we're in business for, to reach the top," Camille Estephan, Jean's manager, told Paste BN Sports. "I believe that Dierry Jean, in my eyes, that his chances of beating Crawford are very, very good."

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Crawford, of course, has ascended into one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport. He cleaned out the 135-pound division, punctuated by a Fight of the Year candidate vs. Yuriorkis Gamboa last summer. And Crawford (26-0, 18 KOs) has turned into a massive attraction in his hometown of Omaha, Neb., where he routinely draws upward of 10,000 fans.

There will be a formal press conference in Omaha on Monday.

The slick southpaw moved up to 140 pounds and easily dispatched former top prospect Thomas Dulorme, proving he could indeed compete at another weight class. Crawford, who is promoted by Top Rank, has called for a fight with Manny Pacquiao next year.

If he keeps beating every fighter in his way, it could happen.