Maxi Hughes reveals his biggest motivation ahead of IBO title defence against Kid Galahad

The IBO champion from Rossington in Doncaster is defending his belt for a second time as he takes on Sheffield-based Galahad in Nottingham.

Hughes won the IBO strap with one of the performances of his career when he beat Mexican Jovanni Straffon at Headingley last September.

He followed that up with a classy first defence with a dominant win at the Leeds First Direct Arena against Ryan Walsh.

When Hughes won the IBO crown last year he still worked full time as a painter and decorator.

Fast forward 12 months and he has left the paint brushes behind and is now training as a full-time professional boxer.

Galahad’s last contest ended in disaster for the 28-2 fighter. He was knocked out in the sixth round by Kiko Martinez as he failed to defend his IBF featherweight title at the first attempt. Ten months on, he has jumped up two weight divisions as he bids to become a two-weight world champion.

Galahad is the favourite with the bookmakers but in some pre-fight mind games he has shifted the pressure onto the defending champion.

"I don’t put pressure on myself in terms of ‘get through this fight and the next fight is massive’,” said a relaxed Hughes.

"It’s the way I live my life. I’ve got two young kids that I adore, and being a full-time boxer means I am around them more, that’s where the pressure comes because I want to keep living that life.

"What comes next will happen, nothing is guaranteed, I just want to keep being a full-time fighter and the best Dad to my kids.

"The form and momentum are with me, but I am the underdog again and that’s something I am used to, it’s just how I approach things regardless of what people think or what the bookies think.

"We’re confident as a team in what we’re doing and that’s the most important thing - getting my hand raised and hearing ‘and still’."

Galahad had previously spoken about moving to super featherweight rather than taking the extra step up to lightweight.

Despite the step up, he says he is feeling fresher and is confident he will bounce back from only the second loss of his career, as he referenced the comeback made by IBF featherweight champion Josh Warrington after his stunning defeat against Mauricio Lara early last year.

"I always put big pressure on myself in every fight. I’ve got the underdog mentality, every fight is do or die and I must do a job on Maxi Hughes, and I will,” he said.

"At this new weight I feel fresher, I’m not struggling, and I feel great.

"With the Kiko Martinez loss, that’s boxing, it can happen. I went straight back into the gym. I know what I did wrong, we’ve adjusted it and on Saturday night we’ll see that.

"Maxi’s mate Josh got KO’d by Mauricio Lara and he came back to win a world title, so it depends how you are built. I think if Maxi got KO’d the way I did, he would have been finished but I am a different gravy to him, and on Saturday we’ll see.

"It’s not mind games, it’s the truth. I got KO’d by Kiko, he asked his trainer to pull him out of a fight because he had a bloody nose.

"That’s the truth, I’m not sugar-coating it, I would rather go out on my shield - that’s the difference in our mentalities."

Hughes admitted he was surprised when he learned Galahad would be moving into his weight class and knows a victory would most likely improve his ranking considerably as he eyes a potential unification bout.

“He was featherweight champion, and he was looking to go to super-feather, so I am surprised that he’s jumping up two weights to face me,” he added.

"It’s a high-profile fight, he’s been IBF champion and they usually regard their champions highly, so they may rank him highly, so beating him should improve my ranking.

"It would be nice to get a top-five ranking with them and move towards a bigger fight. It’s the same every time for me, get this one won, and a bigger fight could be next. I have faith in my ability and where I am in my team. I’m not one for bold predictions – I just want a win, however it comes, and I believe I am going to get it.”

The contest between the two Yorkshiremen will be the main event in Nottingham after Leigh Wood’s planned WBA featherweight title bout with Lara was postponed due to the Englishman sustaining a torn bicep.