By Ryan Songalia

On the final day of sparring in his new training base of Vero Beach, FL, light-heavyweight contender Elvir "The Kosovo Kid" Muriqi gleefully unloads his boxing equipment from the back of his car while singing "Ready or Not" by the Fugees to himself. You would think he was grabbing his golf bag for a round at the driving range, not preparing to hit and be hit to the body and head.

That song, which reached international fame in 1996, is representative of the situation he faces this Saturday, February 14 in the United Kingdom against former IBF light-heavyweight titlist Clinton Woods. Ready or not, Muriqi is confronting what might be his last chance to enter the title picture at 175 pounds.

"I feel good about this fight," Muriqi, 35-4 (22 KO), says of his upcoming IBF title eliminator. "It's a crazy thing, these guys get millions of dollars to fight this guy and I'm going over to this country and fighting for next to free. It feels good to take a risk to show my skills. I've been having a little trouble with passport and travel, but other than that training has been going great."

The 29-year-old is in good spirits, singing along to the hip hop music that plays throughout Buddy McGirt's gritty training facility. On this day his trainer isn't with him; it is overheard that he is on vacation.

Muriqi's sparring partner of choice today is Anthony Greenidge, a 21-year-old middleweight from Brooklyn, NY with a 13-1 (5 KO) record. Greenidge is in training himself for a fight on February 28th in Atlanta, the first defense of the NABA US middleweight belt he won in his last fight.

For six rounds the two go at it, though it's abundantly clear that Muriqi is the more powerful and experienced of the two. Muriqi boxes, slugs, then boxes, all the while seeming to enjoy himself immensely.

"It was good," Muriqi says of the sparring. "The guy is fast. I was controlling most of the rounds. The kid is a middleweight, he throws good combinations. It helps me because when I fight Clinton Woods he won't be that fast."

Muriqi divulges that he also sparred with cruiserweights Ehinomen Ehikhamenor, Alfredo Escalera Jr. and Francisco Palacios during his preparations.

Muriqi leaves to get a cortisone shot for his right hand but promises to return. When he does he goes into further details about his upcoming fight.

"We all know that he is really tough but I think that my speed and my youth and my being younger will be the difference. I wasn't a world champion yet, Clinton Woods has been there. I think I have all of the tools, hunger and character to win the fight. He shouldn't be ashamed of losing to me."

Muriqi has gone through a myriad of trainers throughout his career, most notably Teddy Atlas, who guided him to a 1998 New York Golden Gloves title and oversaw the early part of his career, and Colin Morgan, the New York-based trainer responsible for Peter Quillin's early development.

He now settles on Buddy McGirt, one of the sport's most visible trainers. Muriqi says the transition has been seamless.

"I've been knowing Buddy for over ten years, we've always been cool. It's crazy how much he helps me to develop the tools I have. Little things, but they make such a big difference in sparring. The guy has done it both ways, as a fighter and as a trainer."

Muriqi plans on purchasing a condominium in Vero Beach for when he flies south for training camps.

On the club circuit in New York City, where he and his family settled in 1996 after fleeing the growing tension in Kosovo, Muriqi has fought in just about every venue, from Madison Square Garden to the Park Central Hotel.

But it was one fight, his spirited challenge of heavily-favored Antonio Tarver in Connecticut a year and a half ago, that made his reputation with boxing fans. Muriqi lost on a majority decision but his stock rose in defeat.

Contrast that with Woods' last fight, which was also against Tarver in April. Woods was never in the fight, losing by a wide margin. Many called for the Sheffield brawler to retire following the mismatch.

"You never know how he got prepared for the fight," Muriqi says of Woods' loss to Tarver. "You never know what was going on in his mind. Clinton Woods is fighting in England so I consider him to be the best he can be."

Ironically, Tarver is using the same gym to prepare himself for his upcoming rematch with Chad Dawson. Both are aware of each others presence but neither acknowledges the other.

Since that fight, Muriqi has only fought once, a four-round TKO over a career opponent named Jameel Wilson. Muriqi is not concerned by his inactivity.

"No concerns. He hasn't fought in 10 months, I haven't fought in a year. We're similar. He's 36 years old, I'm 29 years old. He's had wars, I've only had one or two wars. I haven't been in the tough fights he's been. One day he's just going to say 'This is enough.'"

Before leaving the gym for the day, Muriqi checks his weight. The scale reads 177, 2 pounds north of the 175 pound limit. "Remember you have two days layover in New York," warns assistant trainer Chelo Betancourt. Muriqi delights in showing off his abs to the 10 or so people that remain in the facility.

You can't help but notice Muriqi's confidence, as if he knows something that you don't. Nobody can tell Muriqi that he won't emerge victorious over Woods, and on this day nobody tried. Muriqi's self-belief seeps through in the way he speaks, the way he walks, just the way he carries himself.

"I don't think there is any light-heavyweight in the world that can beat me. It took me like 8 years to get the calmness, the professionalism I have now. Any tough situation I get in sparring or a fight, I love it. It's not like 'Wow, I can't deal with this.'

"I love fighting."

Ryan Songalia is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at songaliaboxing@aol.com.