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Gareth Fullerton

Michael Conlan vows to treat fans to early Christmas present with knockout win

Michael Conlan has vowed to treat his fans to an early Christmas present by knocking out Karim Guerfi.

The Belfast featherweight has been in relaxed mood ahead of his festive ring return on Saturday night.

The SSE Arena will be rocking as the 'Conlan Revolution' rolls into town once again, just four months after the 31-year-old's last appearance at the iconic venue.

Read more: Watch: Sean McComb gives hilarious 'cauliflower a**e' fight prediction

On that occasion he outpointed hard-hitting Colombian Miguel Marriaga, a comeback win which erased plenty of demons following his devastating knockout defeat to Leigh Wood back in March.

Conlan has moved on from that nightmare in Nottingham, and now he is dreaming of a world title once again.

But first, he has to beat former European champion Guerfi.

"I have prepared well and I am peaking at the right time. I am looking forward to a big performance on Saturday night," Conlan said.

"I didn't have to radically change anything since the Wood fight. It was just some simple measures. Fix a few mistakes, and make sure we get the small things correct which then make a big impact in the end.

"Guerfi is a tough opponent. He is no slouch. He is a nice guy, but on Saturday night he won't be so nice. He wants to win, and I am there to do my job.

"And no matter who is in front of me, I will do it well."

Conlan admits fighting in front of his home fans will be another "special occasion", and he praised everyone who bought tickets amid the ongoing cost of living crisis.

"The crowd is special, and the SSE is always a brilliant place to fight," he said.

"It is unbelievable that so many people are coming out to support me, and people are still buying tickets. I appreciate everything and I aim to repay them with a big performance on Saturday night.

"I believe I will put a dominant performance on and I believe I will knock Karim Guerfi out."

Conlan is being lined up for a world title fight in 2023, with St Patrick's Day a potential date of destiny for the Falls Road man.

But while that carrot is dangling tantalisingly in front of him, Conlan insists his only focus is on Saturday night.

"You know me, I hate talking about the future when I have a fight in front of me. I think that's disrespectful," he added.

"When you look ahead, that's when you don't see the banana skins and you end up falling over. I am focused on Saturday and I am ready to go.

"I had a good performance in August and answered a lot of questions, not only to myself but for a lot of critics all over the world.

"I had some adversity in that fight, but it is another box ticked."

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