"People are saying that I'm just back fighting for the money but I'm not, I love the sport and I know that I can be world champion again," said McCullough.

McCullough takes on reigning European super-bantamweight champion Kiko Martinez in a non-title fight at the King's Hall on December 1.

The former world champion was speaking at La Salle Boys' School in Belfast via a video link through a new internet set-up recently purchased at a cost of £20,000.

The school's network manager Tony Williams said: "It's the first time we have tried out the new equipment and we're very pleased with it. We've brought it into the school in order to help with remote teaching."

Pocket Rocket McCullough refutes the suggestion that he is the underdog in the December show, tickets for which go on sale on Monday from Ticketmaster at £100 and £40.

Martinez has made his reputation with that first round stoppage of Bernard Dunne in August, when claiming the European title but such a powerful display holds no fear for McCullough.

"He may be unbeaten with a lot of knockouts but when I was world champion I had 17 wins and 13 knockouts, did that make me a big puncher? I know I'm not a big puncher," said McCullough. "Apart from the Dunne fight I have seen three of his other fights and I saw him go the distance with a guy who was two and ten. He's moving up to world class for the first time when he fights me. I'm feeling in great shape, I've been training for two years twice a day and I feel very confident."

The show will also feature Brian Magee in an eight-rounder at super-middleweight having opted to leave the light-heavy division. Manager Pat Magee said: "Brian has been over sparring Mikkel Kessler for his fight with Joe Calzaghe and he saw how he lives and eats boxing and it made him realise that he can still box at super-middle. He felt sluggish in the ring against Oakey and he wants to have another go at super-middle and I can see him fighting for the British title next year."

Magee also announced that rising Irish middleweight star Andy Lee will be on the bill along with heavyweight Martin Rogan and featherweight Martin Lindsay. The main supporting contest will see Dean Francis defending his Commonwealth light-heavyweight title against Nigeria's Michael Gbenga.

Meanwhile, Darren Sutherland is through to the last 32 of the World Championships in Chicago after being handed a walkover when his opponent Roy Albert Cooke of the Dominican Republic failed to make the weight.

In a repeat of their European Union Championships quarter-final clash Hungarian Gyula Kate defeated Irish light-welterweight John Joe Joyce 32-17.

Super heavyweight Cathal McMonagle was handed a tough task as he will meet European champion Islam Timurziev from Russia who is ranked 3rd in the World and 2nd in Europe.

Roy Sheahan will also face a tricky encounter against Jung Joo Kim of Korea, who is ranked 6th in the World.

Irish captain Ken Egan will go head-to-head with Julius Jackson from the Virgin Islands.

Belfast's Ryan Lindberg needs to win two contests to make Beijing, starting with tomorrow's clash with Arroyo McJoe from Puerto Rico. Light-fly Paddy Barnes starts his campaign today when the Belfast man meets Jankuk Chol of Korea.