Michael Conlan's trainer Adam Booth admits he is getting Andy Lee vibes off Michael Conlan ahead of Saturday night's world title fight.
Conlan and Booth have left no stone unturned as they prepare to face IBF World featherweight champion Luis Alberto Lopez at the SSE Arena.
It is Conlan's second attempt at a world title after losing out to Leigh Wood in March last year.
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"Mick is at the apex of his career in terms of his age, experience, his evolution as a professional fighter alongside his incredible amateur record and ferocious winning mindset," Booth said.
"He is at his peak. He absolutely is.
"He reminds me of a former fighter of mine, Andy Lee, when he fought Mat Korobov in Vegas and won as a 5/1 underdog. And I am getting that same sense from Mick.
"Technically, physically, energetically, mentally, everything has evolved so well over the past few years, and spiked over the past 12 months. And he needs that for this fight.
"And that's why we're in it, for the highest levels of competition, and highest levels of performance. And I am genuinely excited to see him perform on Saturday."
Conlan was seconds away from winning the WBA World title last year, only to suffer a devastating knockout defeat in the final round of his Fight of the Year against Leigh Wood.
Booth says the team took plenty of positives from that fight, despite the end result.
"That was the first time Mick had been in a firefight as a professional. He realises what he can do, how ferocious he can be on the inside and clever on the outside," he said.
"There were so many positives, and we have improved on them over the past 12-15 months."
Asked how they prepare for a fighter like Lopez, who won the IBF belt against Josh Warrington last December, Booth said: "We try and imagine what it's like to be him. He comes across as a quick, strong, tough, fearless street-fighter who has learned some techniques..
"You know there are clear and obvious threats from him. But like every fighter, your strengths can sometimes be your weaknesses.
"We have kept drilling and drilling how to deal with them. This is a tougher fight than Leigh Wood, I knew that from the start.
"But Michael Conlan is a far better fighter than he was against Wood."
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