Hughes has already been doing some homework.

“I know he was a decent amateur and he's had 11 pro fights, which we've had a look at online,” Hughes told BoxingScene. “We've had a look. He's still sort of got the amateur style, you know – good fundamentals. His key shot is his jab and his footwork [is good]. But, again, it's nothing that I've not seen before. You know, I'm into my 16th year as a pro now, so experience is obviously on my side. It’s down to me to make sure that I use my experience and get the better of it.”

Hughes has boxed in the US against the likes of George Kambosos Jnr and William Zepeda, and five years ago he was victorious in Dubai.

“I was actually in Dubai during COVID and I fought the unbeaten [12-0] Kazakhstan [fighter] Viktor Kotochigov, who again was a decent amateur – unbeaten as a pro,” Hughes said. “And at that time, five years ago, I had more experience and I used it and I got the win. So I've just sort of got to repeat what I did there. I quite enjoy fighting away. I have fought there before, and they're sending me out next Friday. So I'm going to be there in plenty of time. I know that the time difference is not that bad – three to four hours. So it's not going to wreak hell with my body clock. I quite enjoy it. I remember before I'd ever fought abroad, watching on telly people like Kiko [Martinez], or I looked up to [former light heavyweight titleholder] Glen Johnson, ‘The Road Warrior.’ I thought, ‘I quite like that.’ You know, just travelling around, getting paid to travel around the world and fight. I've got to experience a bit of that myself and I quite enjoy it.”

Tris Dixon covered his first amateur boxing fight in 1996. The former editor of Boxing News, he has written for a number of international publications and newspapers, including GQ and Men’s Health, and is a board member for the Ringside Charitable Trust and the Ring of Brotherhood. He has been a broadcaster for TNT Sports and hosts the popular “Boxing Life Stories” podcast. Dixon is a British Boxing Hall of Famer, an International Boxing Hall of Fame elector, a BWAA award winner, and is the author of five boxing books, including “Damage: The Untold Story of Brain Trauma in Boxing” (shortlisted for the William Hill Sportsbook of the Year), “Warrior: A Champion’s Search for His Identity” (shortlisted for the Sunday Times International Sportsbook of the Year) and “The Road to Nowhere: A Journey Through Boxing’s Wastelands.” You can reach him @trisdixon on X and Instagram.