Carl Froch has admitted that he expects his hotly-anticipated super-middleweight unification clash with Mikkel Kessler this weekend to be nothing short of brutal.
'The Cobra' will collide with Kessler for the second time at the 02 Arena on Saturday night, desperate to avenge the first defeat of his professional career three years ago.
As fight night draws closer, Froch has conceded that the bout deserves to be viewed as a 50/50 scrap that either man is capable of winning at their very best, but also vowed that he is fully focused on ensuring he emerges victorious.
He told Sky Sports News: "I'm not going to let this guy beat me but I know it's going to be very, very tough.
"It's going to be brutal, it could even be quite vicious and barbaric but both of us are in there to do a job. We're both tough, real strong warriors at the top of our game.
"I'm confident I'm going to win this fight, don't get me wrong, and I know how to beat Mikkel Kessler but he'll probably tell you the same and to be totally honest this fight is a 50/50 fight. It's there for me to win and it's there for me to lose as well."
Kessler has prepared for the bout by sparring with British duo George Groves and Nathan Cleverly, a move which led Froch to openly criticise his compatriots earlier this week.