Tony Bellew is already training hard for a potential year-end fight with WBO, IBF, WBC, WBA cruiserweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk.
A deal is very close to see the two of them facing each other in the ring.
Usyk is coming off a career high victory from last month in Moscow, where he dominated undefeated Murat Gassiev over twelve rounds to unify the cruiserweight division and win the World Boxing Super Series tournament.
Usyk has called for the fight with Bellew, and the Liverpool fighter openly embraced that challenge.
"I’m in camp now down in Sheffield," Bellew told Metro.co.uk. "It looks as if it’s done, but not everything’s sorted until I’m in that ring. When you see us face-to-face at a presser you can consider the fight on, but it’s not too far away.
"Things are mutually agreed, that’s the best way of saying it. It’s not signed yet. I have had fights break down at this stage before so I don’t want to curse it. I’ve obviously said I want the fight. It’s the biggest challenge of my whole career. Once again everyone says I’ve got no chance. Let’s give it a go."
Bellew, who in his last two fights scored back to back knockouts over David Haye at heavyweight, views this as a legacy enhancing opportunity.
Despite being a huge underdog, he feels very confident of scoring a knockout victory over Usyk.
"Beating this guy leaves a legacy that can never be touched again. You won’t see another fighter do this. The belts will probably be broken up once I beat him," Bellew said.
"This is the ultimate goal. There’s more lucrative fights out there for me. This is about taking a once in a lifetime opportunity. He who dares. This could go wrong. I could take a right hiding in this fight. I’m not stupid. I’m not a fighter who genuinely takes a lot of stick, but I might have to in this fight. If I have to, so be it, I’ll come through it and knock him out. I 100 percent have believe I can beat Usyk."