British boxer Maxi Hughes says he plans to expose the mental demons plaguing George Kambosos Jr when the pair square off in Oklahoma.
The IBO lightweight champion and Kambosos will meet in Shawnee this weekend, with the Australian climbing back into the ring for the first time since back-to-back losses to Devin Haney.
A former unified world champion, Kambosos lost his lightweight belts to the American in their first fight in Melbourne last June before an unsuccessful rematch in October.
The 30-year-old shifted his training base from Sydney to Las Vegas to prepare for Saturday's fight (Sunday AEST), which doubles as an IBF title eliminator.
He has sparred with former WBO junior featherweight world champion Jessie Magdaleno and promising youngster Emiliano Vargas, the son of two-time world champion Fernando Vargas.
Hughes, 33, is considered somewhat of a journeyman but has won his last seven fights for a 26-5-2 record.
The Englishman believes he's meeting Kambosos at an ideal time, with his Australian rival rocked by his one-sided losses to Haney.
"I feel like I'm getting George at the right time," Hughes told Sporting News.
"I chose this fight. I reached out to him and it is a fight that I wanted. I'm very confident in myself.
"He's got those demons to exorcise - he's coming off two back-to-back losses and in 24 rounds he barely won one.
"He'll tell you he hasn't (got demons) because he's very egotistical and a very proud man but when he's not got his team around him, and he's in bed alone, he's got to battle those demons.
"He won't have his team around him to blow smoke up his backside and it's the same on fight night; it's just me and him in there."
Kambosos (20-2-10) briefly pondered retirement following the Haney bouts and may be forced to reconsider his decision to keep fighting if he also falls to Hughes.
A win unlocks a path back to a world title, with the victor in the position to fight undisputed champion Haney or No.1 contender Gustavo Lemos, from Argentina, if the young American vacates.
