Ricky Burns admits it would be an "honor" to share a ring with Juan Manuel Marquez as he waits to find out if he will face the Mexican in 2012.
Scotsman Burns is enjoying a well-deserved break from the gym after becoming the interim WBO lightweight title with an excellent points victory over Michael Katsidis at the start of November.
The 28-year-old expects to be in action in either late February or early March next year, though he is not yet sure who his opponent will be.
Marquez is the current WBO champion but, having controversially lost to Manny Pacquiao recently, might opt to move out of the division.
"Juan Manuel Marquez has just fought Manny Pacquiao," Burns told Sky Sports NewsHD. "He lost the fight, but I thought he won.
"We are now waiting to see what he is going to do, whether he is going to move up a weight or move back down.
"If he does move up, I'll be made full world champion. But, if he decides to go back down, I'm his mandatory challenger.
"I would love the opportunity to fight him. He's obviously one of the best pound-for-pound fighters out there and an all-time great. Even getting in the ring with him would be an honour for me."
Whoever he ends up facing next, Burns is just hoping he gets the chance to fight again on home soil.
The Coatbridge man won the WBO super-featherweight belt at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow last year, out-pointing Roman Martinez in front of a raucous crowd, and wants another chance to perform in front of his compatriots.
"Frank Warren has spoken about it, he's keen to have it (Burns' next fight) in Glasgow," he said.
"Obviously my last couple of fights have been away - in Liverpool and London - but the boxing fans up here (in Scotland) are unbelievable.
"When I won the world title at the Kelvin Hall everybody commented on the atmosphere and how good the crowd was that night. Hopefully it would be the same again."
Burns made two successful defences of the WBO title before opting to move up to lightweight - a decision he feels had to be made for his own well-being.
"Even when I won the world title it was getting hard for me to make the nine stone 4lbs limit," he admitted.
"I'd been down at that weight since I was 21, but it just seemed in the last couple of defences I was really killing myself to lose the last couple of pounds.
"Now I've moved up I'm so much happier.
"I can concentrate on the boxing side of things, rather than worrying about what I'm eating."
