Retired UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has backed Amir Khan to beat Kell Brook in a "very close fight".
After years of back and forth, Khan and Brook will finally meet in a 149lb catchweight fight this Saturday at the Manchester Arena.
Their fierce rivalry dates back to when they crossed paths 17 years ago at England Boxing training camp, with Khan going to receive an Olympic call up in which he would later win a silver medal.
Brook - who turned professional that year - didn't get the same opportunity but insists that competing at the Olympics was never his goal.
Now in the later stages of their professional careers, many fans have criticised the fight which should have taken place when both men were in their primes.
And Nurmagomedov, who admitted he is a huge boxing fan, said he will be watching closely when the pair meet on Saturday.
"I'm gonna watch. I love boxing, all big fights I watch live. I know [Amir] has a tough opponent, I don't think Amir Khan right now is in his primetime," Nurmagomedov told Sky Sports.
"My opinion is it's going to be a close fight, a very close fight. [Amir] can beat him, but I think it's going to be close."
Fans recently weighed in on a face-off between the domestic rivals ahead of their grudge match, with viewers insisting Brook was on the verge of tears.
Brook's trainer is worried that Khan will pull out of the fight this week after comments he made about an injury that has plagued him during training.
And Brook thinks the support at the Manchester Arena will mostly be in his favour despite Khan being from Bolton.
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"I know he's going to have his fans but the majority will be behind me," he told Mirror Fighting. "I am going to try and keep it under wraps but it is going to be hard, there is that much emotion it is going to be hard to tone it down.
“I know me and him are not gonna see eye-to-eye, that is common knowledge. I am getting the message that everybody is behind me, the truth is out now.
"The truth is that he didn’t want the fight all that time and it’s me who wanted to give him that fight. I have been getting messages on social media like 'good luck' and it is all positive.
"He knows the score, he is going to know really quickly in the fight what time it is. From that first bell he will know what time it is."
