Macklin warns Martinez he's in for a real fight

Matthew Macklin has warned Sergio Martinez he's in for a real fight and that he'll return to Birmingham as the city's first-ever world champion.

The Second City stylist [pictured with his European title] will swap leather with pound-for-pound-rated Sergio Martinez in New York on St Patrick's Day [March 17] for the WBC Diamond middleweight title and the chance to be recognised as the number one in the division.

It's not an opportunity he intends to let slip him by.

Macklin, 29, hasn't boxed since a controversial 12-round split decision defeat to champion Felix Sturm in June - a WBA world title fight consensus had deemed he'd done enough to win. But despite that disappointment in Germany, he's kept himself fit, based himself in New York with Buddy McGirt, and is adamant this is the right fight at the right time.

Yet the former law student is also aware the he has an Everest-sized mountain to climb. The California-based Argentinian has suffered only two defeats in 52 [48 wins, 27 stoppages, and two draws] and one was a controversial points decision to Paul Williams [later avenged in two]; the other an early setback to future multi-weight world champion Antonio Margarito.

The 36-year-old turned away a spirited challenge from Englishman Darren Barker last October, after a solid start by the ex-British, Commonwealth and Continental boss - and Martinez has also put away fellow Brits Richard Williams [twice] and Adrian Stone in a long 15-year paid career that has only received international recognition in the last three years.

But southpaw Sergio's last four victories, in which time he's snatched the WBC belt at 11st and the WBC and WBO straps at middleweight, have seen him beat men with combined professional records of a staggering 135-2 [Kelly Pavlik, 36-1, Paul Williams, 39-1, Sergey Dzinziruk, 37-0, and Darren Barker, 23-0].

Yet none of this fazes the hard-hitting Brummie, 28-3 (19), who showed against Sturm in Cologne that he deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as the premier fighters in the ultra-competitive division. And with strong Irish roots, he's almost certain to have the backing of the New Yorkers.

So far the pre-fight build-up has been a civilised affair and the Brian Peters-handled challenger said: "To be honest, i haven't got a single bad word to say about Martinez, who has been a gent every time I've met him. He's a humble, friendly fella and he's given me this chance and i thank him for that.

"But i'm coming to Madison Square Gardens to win, so he knows i'm going to give him a real fight," admitted the affable Birmingham City supporter from Solihull. "I've done things the traditional way and won British and European titles - and now i want the big one.

"I'm coming for a war and don't plan to return to Birmingham without the title in my suitcase," Macklin added.