British super-middleweight James DeGale has predicted a difficult night for Marco Antonio Periban when they face each other in Liverpool on Saturday night.
DeGale is putting his IBF mandatory spot on the line against the Mexican, but the 2008 Olympic gold medallist is confident that he will come through against the former world title challenger to set up a potential clash with champion Carl Froch.
The 28-year-old told Sky Sports News: "I would like to send a message to Carl Froch but I can't afford any slip-ups because if I lose this, I won't be fighting for the world title during the early part of next year.
"There's a lot on the line but I'm feeling good. I'm injury-free and Periban is in for a hard night."
The winner of Saturday's bout will fight for the IBF title during the early part of 2015.
