'You know what?' - Marcel Braithwaite makes Ijaz Ahmed prediction ahead of British title showdown

Marcel Braithwaite believes fight fans will see the real version of him when he takes on Ijaz Ahmed for the British title.

The 29-year-old, who is the current Commonwealth champion, will take on Ahmed for the British super-flyweight belt at the Holiday Inn in Birmingham on Friday night. Braithwaite edged fellow Scouser Ryan Farrag on points in a small hall show classic at the Eventim Olympia back in June and has already faced Ahmed for the British crown.

The pair met in March earlier this year after Braithwaite accepted the fight on just 19 days’ notice following the withdrawal of Kaisy Khademi due to injury. Tallies of 114-115, an inexplicable 117-111 and 114-114 were handed in by the three judges at ringside, and a draw was called, much to the dismay of Braithwaite.

But as 'The Chosen One' prepares to return to the ring for the third time this year, he does so in the belief that he will be returning home as Liverpool’s latest British champion.

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“I’m locked in and enjoying it,” he tells the ECHO when asked how his preparations for the bout are going.

“We all know the last fight was on 19 days’ notice. People don’t normally do that for the British title, but I did it, and I felt I won the fight.

“But I was never going to sit there and cry over spilt milk. I just got back to work, worked harder than I ever have, and I have been in that zone for a while now."

Asked how he is feeling ahead of Friday, Braithwaite replied: “I’m thriving. I’ve left no stone unturned, and I have worked harder than ever.

“In the sense that it has made me mature, I’ve really knuckled