The two men meet in a major clash at Belfast's SSE Arena this Saturday, with the winner taking mandatory status to challenge for the IBF welterweight title held by Jaron Ennis.

• Read more | Lewis Crocker vs Paddy Donovan: Date, start time, TV channel and live stream

Donovan, who holds an unbeaten 14-0 record with 11 KOs, is seeking to catapult himself into world championship conversation, but must get past Crocker first in a big bout.

Speaking exclusively with DAZN News, the Limerick-born star admitted that the elevated status of their matchup was a nice surprise and gives them an extra target to triumph.

"I got a text saying the fight was on, and we made the deal happen," he said. "Then came the bonus of an IBF world title eliminator. It gives both of us something to look forward to.

"It's one of the biggest fights in Irish boxing history and to not have some other goal at the end of the rainbow would really be quite tragic. It puts us in an amazing position."

Donovan is in the final stages of his preparations for the bout, which will see him cross the border to face a hometown favourite looking to leave his own mark on the division.

But he is relatively unconcerned about the potential of a hostile reaction, and instead is keeping his focus solely on ensuring he is in the best shape possible to seize the day.

"I was in Dublin for the first five or six weeks with Andy, and then we went to Saudi Arabia for two-and-a-half weeks," he added. "It's just about getting the body right, really.

"There's been talks about me and Crocker having a clash, whether it was going to be the next fight or a few fights down the road. But it's come at a great time in my career.

"I'm 26, he's 28. It's the biggest Irish fight that's happened in recent years. I'll be ready. The arena doesn't really matter where it is. What matters is the opponent in front of me.

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