AMIR Khan believes being pushed to the brink of collapse as part of his gruelling new training programme has made him a fitter fighter than ever as he prepares to face Michael Gomez in Birmingham tonight.
Khan has been working with strength and conditioning coach Phil Edwards in the build-up to his latest Commonwealth lightweight title defence at the city's sold-out National Indoor Arena.
And the Olympic silver medallist has described being taken
to the kind of dark places he hopes never to experience in the ring as he focuses on securing a world title fight early next year.
Khan said: "I've been pushed into situations where I've sat down and not known where my head is. But it's good to feel like that because, one day, I might be feeling the same way in a fight.
"I haven't experienced anything like that kind of pain and exhaustion in a fight so far, not even getting knocked down or going 12 rounds. But if I do end up in that uncomfortable zone, I'll know how to cope."
Khan is clearly flourishing in his new training programme headed by Dean Powell, who took over following the Khan camp's fairly acrimonious split with his original trainer Oliver Harrison two months ago.
And he is taking no chances against Gomez, despite the general consensus that the Manchester veteran, who celebrates his 31st birthday on the night of the fight, is too far past his best.
Khan added: "This is a massive fight for Gomez and I know he's going to be dangerous for a couple of rounds. But I treat every fight like a world title fight now because I know everybody is coming to beat me.
"The confidence Gomez got when he upset Alex Arthur in Scotland will make him believe he can win this fight."
This is the last chance for Gomez, who has been uncharacteristically laid back in the fight build-up, as he seeks to defy his critics who say his stunning stoppage of Arthur in Edinburgh in 2003 will remain the pinnacle of his career.
Gomez has lost three of his last six fights, including a bizarre mid-round retirement against Irish journeyman Peter McDonagh in January 2006, and October's sixth-round stoppage against Carl Johanneson.
But Gomez still showed in the early stages against the Leeds man that he can bring a special kind of ferocity to a contest and will plan to upset Khan – whose progress so far has been relatively serene – and drag him into a battle.
Gomez said: "I'm happy to turn it into a roughhouse brawl. If I'm walking down the street and someone bumps into me, I'm happy to turn it into a roughhouse brawl so I'll definitely do it with Khan.
"I think Khan's a world-class operator but he's been well looked after. People say I've lost my power but I've been to the fountain of youth and I'm going to shock them all."
The full article contains 503 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
