Boxing:Irish boxers Matthew Macklin and Andy Lee have been confirmed to fight at New York's Madison Square Garden on St Patrick's Day
Macklin will take on Argentinean Sergio Martinez in a bid to take his WBC World middleweight crown, while fellow middleweight Lee’s opponent will be announced shortly.
Birmingham-born Macklin is rated the number three middleweight in the world by the WBC but he is confident that he belongs in the top tier of fighters, despite his controversial defeat to Felix Sturm in a WBA title decider in Cologne last June..
“I have tons of respect for what Sergio has achieved and the way he conducts himself outside of the ring,” said Macklin.
“He is an excellent athlete and almost universally regarded as the best boxer on the planet outside of Mayweather and Pacquiao, but I've always believed in myself and said I belong at this level.
“I proved it against Sturm and everyone, bar the two judges who scored it for him, could see that. Fights like the Sturm one and this Martinez fight are the type of fights I’ve craved my whole career. I’m at this level now and I’m determined to stay here.
“I’m going to war right from round one and I have the youth, strength, size and desire to walk through anything Sergio has. I will go through walls on St Patrick’s Day to win this fight and I’ll set a pace from the very first bell that Sergio won’t be able to cope with.”