By Adrian Warren
Billy Dib is expecting Mexican Jorge Lacierva to resort to illegal tactics in their clash for the vacant IBF featherweight boxing title on Friday.
Dib has undergone the longest preparation of his professional career, as he attempts to lift local fight fans after Danny Green's loss to Antonio Tarver last week.
He wants to join IBF middleweight world champion Daniel Geale in an Australian world title double he compares to the late 1980s duo of Jeff Fenech and Jeff Harding.
The 25-year-old Sydneysider has toned down the brash ring antics which polarised fans in the early stages of his career.
He says he is much more professional than when he dropped a points decision to then WBO featherweight world champion Steven Luevano in October 2008.
That remains the only loss in 33 professional fights for Dib, who briefly held the IBO super featherweight title in 2008.
He will have significant height and reach advantages over Lacierva, who has come through the divisions from flyweight.
Lacierva was the first man to beat former IBF light flyweight world champion Mauricio Pastrana and challenged unsuccessfully for the IBF super flyweight and WBA super bantamweight titles.
If the records are accurate, Lacierva, 33, (39-7-6, 26 KOs) made his professional debut way back in 1994, when Dib was only nine years old.
"I know he is going to try and do a lot of dirty things to try and upset me in the fight, but I've come a long way from being a kid and being upset," Dib told AAP.
"I've seen him kick his opponent, I've seen him headbutt, I've seen him elbow, I've seen him hit behind the back...but he's not going to be able to do anything like that against me.
"I think Australia deserves this after Danny Green was defeated the other day. Me and Danny Geale have to revive the sport of boxing in Australia."
Dib also had positive things to say about Lacierva.
'He is not your typical Mexican come forward brawler, he likes to work hisangles, he has good speed," Dib said.
Dib has sparred some of Australia's best prospects including Joel Brunker, Paul Fleming, Daniel Iannazzo and Will Tomlinson.
He has prepared for 14 weeks and sparred 126 rounds in preparation for his fight at the Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre.
"This has been the most intense, longest and most professional camp that I've ever had in my life," Dib said.
