Katie Taylor says she's ready to become a two-weight world boxing champion this weekend.
The unified lightweight champion steps up to 140-pounds to take on Christina Linardatou for the WBO super-lightweight belt in Manchester on Saturday.
Taylor has won all 14 of her professional bouts to date but is wary of her Greek opponent's power:
"I’m in against a bigger and stronger girl, but I’ve put in hundreds and hundreds of rounds of sparring over these last few years and I’m ready and prepared for this kind of challenge," the former Olympic champion said at a press conference today ahead of the headline bout at the Manchester Arena.
"I’ve had a lot of strength and conditioning over the last few months and I’m feeling ready and I’m feeling strong. I can’t wait to get in there.
"There are a lot of big fights out there for me, but I’m only focused on this fight with Christina on Saturday night.
"I have to get past Christina first before all the other big names are available to me. It’s a big, big night for me on Saturday and I’m just completely focused on this fight.
"It's very exciting that I have a chance to be a two-weight world champion.
"I’m well prepared for this challenge. I’ve had a long training camp for this fight - the longest camp I’ve had for a professional fight.
"I’m feeling well prepared, I’m feeling strong and these are the kind of challenge that I absolutely relish."
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