Carl Froch could move a step closer to challenging Joe Calzaghe when he fights Denis Inkin in a WBC super-middleweight eliminator in Nottingham on 29 March.
Russian Inkin is undefeated and beat Froch as an amateur in 1999, but the Nottingham fighter has the chance to avenge the loss nine years on.
"This is the toughest fight of my life," said Froch. "I have a lot of respect for Denis Inkin.
"It is a shoot-out for the chance to become the next world champion."
"Nottingham is on the verge of having its very own WBC champion"
However, Welshman Calzaghe has more pressing concerns with his eagerly anticipated light-heavyweight clash with Bernard Hopkins in Las Vegas in April.
The 34-year-old had previously dismissed any possibility of facing up to Froch as a "joke".
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But if Calzaghe surrenders his titles in search of a belt at a second weight, then Froch's encounter with Inklin could be bumped up to a full WBC championship fight.
"The WBC is the organisation that has awarded belts to fighting greats like Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler - now Nottingham is on the verge of having its very own WBC champion," said promoter Mick Hennessy.
Froch successfully defended his British super-middleweight title when he beat former champion Robin Reid in five rounds in November 2007.
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