Leigh Wood takes on Mauricio Lara on Saturday and the pair have been involved in a heated face-off at the home of Nottingham Forest.
Wood defends his WBA Featherweight World title on Saturday at Nottingham Arena against the Mexican.
The man who has been defeated just once is a dangerous opponent for Wood and he must be on his guard this weekend.
An eagerly-anticipated fight, winning this one would likely lead to Wood fighting at the City Ground next up.
The Gedling-born boxer produced a stunning comeback to defeat Michael Conlan in March 2022.
He was behind on all three scorecards needing a knockout before sending the Northern Irishman spiralling out of the ring for a devastating knockout.
Now, Lara has advised Wood to expect war with a heated face-off needing to be broken up by Jonny Nelson at the City Ground.
The Mexican said: “Love the belt. It’s mine. I hope you’ve prepared really well. I hope you’re totally ready. This will be war. I will be your worst nightmare. I’m going to clear up (Josh) Warrington’s mess.
Wood involved in heated Lara face-off at the City Ground
In fairness to Wood, he handled himself quite well. He didn’t appear intimidated by Lara and he will be firmly up for the clash.
The world champion is a huge Forest fan and can often be found at the City Ground on a matchday.
He will be under no illusions that he’s on the cusp of winning a fight at the home of Forest but he needs to despatch Lara first.
As a result, he will be keen to put on a show this weekend. Nottingham Arena will be packed out with Forest fans who will head there after the Reds have played Manchester City.
Wood faces a tough task this weekend with Lara a seriously dangerous opponent capable of the sublime.