As fans weigh up my fight with Jamel Herring, the one big factor they seem to think will be in the WBO champion's favour is his size along with me moving up a weight division. But, if that's what his supporters think will give him the edge, then they're in for a shock.
'm not seen as being a natural super-featherweight but I don't think Herring is a natural super-featherweight either.
It applies to both of us for different reasons - I'm moving up and he's squeezing himself into 9st 4lb. At the 2012 Olympics he fought as a light-welter and now nine years later he's a super-feather, so that says a lot.
By the time it comes to fight night, I expect to be weighing between 140lb and 142lb and I don't think he will be that much heavier. I am certain that I will be the stronger man in that ring.
People looking at photos of us when we came together in the ring after my fight in December 2019 may think that's crazy, but I have no doubt on February 27 that will be the case.
Making weight will be that little bit easier for me because of the 4lb difference between feather and super-feather, which is 130lb, but it doesn't mean it will be a gift.
It just means I don't have to do as much long, fat-burning cardio sessions but I'll still have to work my butt off. I've gone from the start of my career as a super-bantam through to super-featherweight 12 years later and along the way as you add that bit more muscle it becomes harder to make the weight limit.
Contrary to what some may think, I'll not be piling on muscle so I can be ready for Herring. It's not about adding false weight. There'll be a bit more muscle but not a great deal because it's not that big a jump in weight for me.
At super-bantamweight it was terrible for me on fight week. I was on 600 calories a day just eating eggs, some lean meat and drinking water. Three weeks out from the fight I would feel light-headed and have to hold onto a chair to steady myself at times. I'm not having a go at anyone when I say that, it's just the way it was. You lose as much body fat as you can and during my super-bantam days I was training during fight week because I had to but now that's not the case. It's all about conserving energy.
When I moved up to featherweight for the first fight with Leo Santa Cruz, I stuck on a sauna suit and went for a walk and a bit of a jog over Brooklyn Bridge, came back, turned on the shower and sat on the toilet with the suit still on to create a bit of a steam room effect and made the weight easily.
I added some muscle at featherweight but as time goes on it becomes that little bit harder to make the limit. If you look at me when I made my debut to what my physique looks like now, you can see how much more muscle I have. My strength coaches Michael Lyons and Simon Bitcon put me through three phases during camp. The first phase is Hypertrophy which is about developing lean muscle with a lot of reps with the weights. The second phase is Strength and, as it suggests, is about developing more strength. Then comes the Power phase about a fortnight before the fight. That's all about explosive movements - such as throwing medicine balls and lots of jumps.
I remember during my amateur days floor-pressing 60kg and feeling very proud of myself. Now I can do 30kg more than that and a few days ago a did a new PB of 165kg for a deadlift so I know I can handle someone like Herring. I also don't need to train during fight week because I use a method called water loading.
That means I drink seven litres of water a day from Monday through to Thursday as well as what they call a low residue diet, which basically means that it clears my gut of waste fibre and that can amount to around 3lb in weight.
I reduce my salt intake as well because that holds onto water.
Literally, you dehydrate and then after the weigh-in I can almost eat what I like, I get the carbs back into my body and on fight day I'm eating normally.
Before, I would have got to that point where muscle was being wasted so I could make the limit but not now, so Herring can be assured that when I come for his WBO super-featherweight title next month I'll be stronger and better than anyone he has faced before.
Exciting Plant will Cal the tune
Caleb Plant defends his IBF world super-middleweight title against Caleb Truax this Saturday night and I expect him to make a big statement.
In 2017, Truax caused a big upset in London when he defeated James DeGale who then got his revenge in Vegas the following year but I don't see him causing Plant any serious problems.
Plant is one of my favourite fighters to watch at the moment and after a win here he will no doubt be looking for the big one against superstar and pound for pound No.1 Canelo Alvarez.
For me, Plant is the guy who gives Canelo the toughest fight at super-middleweight - it's one I'd love to see happen.
We'll Ze if Barrett can really Kik on
World-ranked super-featherweight Zelfa Barrett has been matched with my old rival Kiko Martinez next month in what could be a very intriguing fight.
Barrett is defending his IBF intercontinental title and will be hoping to push towards a world title shot this year and I think Kiko will offer a very good test for him.
Eric Donovan was giving Barrett quite a few problems before he got stopped and Kiko's style could make it uncomfortable for him. Kiko's harder to hit clean than some might think.
Moving up to super-feather may be an issue for Kiko but I still think we'll find out a bit more about Barrett after this one on February 13.
No holding Anto Cac
I'm delighted to see that Anto Cacace is defending his British super-featherweight title on the undercard of my world title fight with Jamel Herring next month. This should be the start of a big year for Anto.
We came through the amateur ranks together and I know that Anto has the potential to go a long way in the sport. He's defending against Leon Woodstock and when he comes through that I'd like to see him in a fight that leads to a world title shot.
There's no point in Anto hanging around domestic level, he needs to be looking at the world scene and start calling out some of the top guys in the division. He's pretty laid back but in every way he needs to really start making his case heard for some big pay days.
Turn up heat on the cheats
I was very disappointed to see that former world light-heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev had failed a drugs test. But was I shocked to hear of another fighter being caught out? No.
Now he has been caught, it sadly casts a dark shadow over the rest of what had been a great career. It's disheartening to hear of such a top fighter failing a test and, sadly, it does make you wonder just how many more are not being caught.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, the testing has to be ramped up if we are going to rid the sport - as best we can - of drug cheats.
