Featherweight contender Michael Conlan will have additional motivation for his upcoming world title fight, which takes place this Saturday night.
Conlan will challenge newly crowned IBF world champion Luis Alberto Lopez, who last year traveled to Leeds to capture the crown by unseating Josh Warrington.
The fight with Lopez takes place at the SSE Arena in Belfast.
Last weekend, Irish superstar Katie Taylor saw her Dublin homecoming get spoiled when she lost a ten round decision to undisputed junior welterweight champion Chantelle Cameron.
Conlan gets his second crack at a world title, after failing to secure the WBA title when he faced then world champion Leigh Wood back in March of 2022.
In the first round, Conlan scored a tremendous knockdown and rocked Wood several times in the first half. But Wood rallied in the second half, dropping Conlan in the eleventh and then knocking him out in the twelfth.
Conlan has since won two fights in a row to get himself back in title position.
Despite last year’s setback, the Irish boxer is more confident than ever as the Lopez fight approaches.
“I need to nullify his strengths and box his ears off,” Conlan said to Irish News. “There are possibilities for me to stop this guy and take him out. My last four opponents have all hit the canvas and I have no doubt that at some stage Lopez will hit the canvas – whether he gets up or not is up to him.
“I believe that I can damage him and hurt him. It’s history-making for me and for my family and I want to fulfil my potential and give the best of me.
“Becoming a professional world champion is where I will find most happiness and I’ve got the chance to achieve my goal on Saturday night. I know it will be tough but I also know I have the talent and ability to do it.”