Kiwi boxer David Light has been an underdog his whole life, and he wouldn't have it any other way as prepares to fight for the WBO cruiserweight title on Sunday (NZT).
Despite boasting an unbeaten 20-0 record, the odds are stacked against him in his bout against reigning champion Lawrence Okolie at Manchester.
The highly touted Brit is also undefeated and has defended the WBO cruiserweight belt four times since winning it in 2021.
Standing at 196cm with an imposing reach of 210cm, Okolie is expected to eventually make the jump to the heavyweight division.
But despite already being written off by most British boxing media, Light is reveling in the fact and is embracing fighting against the bigger man on his own turf.
"Keen to have a feed, have a sleep, and then go get that belt," he told Sky Sports Boxing. "You get in the ring and it's all the same, you get in there and just do what you have to do.
"It feels like how it's felt the last three fights, I've been going from strength to strength. I feel fitter, I feel the best I've ever been, whatever happens, I'm giving it my best.
"I hope I never lose that, you've got to have that hunger for it and that's what I've got, that's what I'm bringing."
The pair weighed in on Saturday before Sunday's highly-anticipated bout, with Okolie also holding a kilogram weight advantage.
Okolie is predicting a mid-round stoppage of the Kiwi, having previously been criticised for his apparent lack of punching power.
"I feel good, happy to make the weight and we push on to tomorrow," he told Sky Sports Boxing. "Tomorrow he's going to get to feel it, there's nothing that we're going to learn up there."
"There's a lot of talk about my punching power, I'm going to show that I'm on a different level to all of these basic guys.
"I've put in a great camp because I'm a professional, and at the end of the day, we're happy David Light came but he could've pulled out and someone else could've got in, you have to train hard for anything that comes."
