THE time has come for Michael Conlan to complete a unique double as he bids to become a professional world champion having done so as an amateur.

In his way is WBA featherweight champion Leigh Wood who will not loosen his grip on the title easily, but Conlan is just as hungry and determined to fulfil what he believes is his destiny.

The tension cranked up several notches at yesterday's weigh-in with words exchanged after both had comfortably come in under the nine-stone limit (Wood's 125.8lbs to Conlan's 125.6lbs).

It was a taste of the anticipated electric atmosphere inside Nottingham's Motorpoint Arena later on with Conlan's support flooding into the city for the biggest night in the Falls Road man's career.

Winning a world title is a huge deal regardless of where it is won, but to do it in the champion's backyard would be even more special as Conlan bids to emulate huge away wins by Belfast fighters like Carl Frampton's over Leo Santa Cruz in New York or Wayne McCullough's over Yasuei Yakushiji in Japan.

"It will be unbelievable and it's what I will do," he promised.

"I think this will rank high enough (winning away). It's always good to go to the champion's back garden and take it away.

"Great champions like Wayne McCullough went away and did it and now I'm doing it, so it's great.

"I think it adds to it. It sort of brings a siege mentality, coming here to take over, so I'm looking forward to experiencing that.

"It will be loud in there either way, maybe less in number, but they will sound a lot louder."

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To dethrone Wood, Conlan will need to be on point, but he is fully confident every box has been ticked in preparation for this challenge.

Wood is a big featherweight, tough, strong and has a very good boxing acumen, but Conlan is much more skilful.

Equally adept as an orthodox or southpaw, the Belfast man will spend the opening moments working out just what look works best for him before getting down to work.
The champion is the heavier puncher, but he doesn't carry one-punch knockout power and his damage is mostly done through an accumulation.

There is a suggestion that Conlan lacks pop in his punches, but that is not true with his body attack a potent weapon and one that will be a huge key to victory this evening.

Both men have talked up their boxing skills in the build-up so it's not anticipated we will see an all-out war, but a tactical battle and should that play out, then there will only be one winner with Conlan's slick skills set to deliver him the big prize.

"It's time to switch on," Conlan added.

"I'm ready to rock and I feel good. The job has been done, so now I've just got to go and complete the mission.

"I'm here to fight now. He can't do anything to stop me and he will not stop me.

"We do this and I achieve a lifetime goal. Everything has gone fantastic and I have no complaints."

Chief support on the night will be Caoimhin Agyarko who defends his WBA International middleweight title against Juan Carlos Rubio; Kildare's Gary Cully is in an intriguing lightweight clash with former world champion Miguel Vazquez, while Dublin heavyweight Thomas Carty is in action against Poland's Michal Boloz.