Lee McGregor says he has been given the chance “I have worked my whole life for” as he prepares to fight on the undercard of Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Uysk’s world title rematch.
The second instalment of their rivalry is one of the most eagerly anticipated fights in the world this year and McGregor will face Isaac Lowe as one of the support acts in Riyadh on 21 December.
The Scottish featherweight insists it is the chance to prove himself on the “biggest stage of them all”.
“I’m going to take this opportunity with both hands,” the Edinburgh fighter told BBC Scotland.
“There’s no chance I’m going to let this slip. I’ve worked my whole life for nights like this and moments like this.”
McGregor was tipped for big things but has struggled to generate momentum in the last few years of his career having won British, European, and Commonwealth titles early on.
Injuries have hampered his progress and his bid to capture the IBO world super-bantamweight title ended in a loss to Mexican Erik Robles Ayala in front of a home crowd at Meadowbank last year.
The 27-year-old admits he questioned whether a future in boxing was worth it in his low moments.
However, after rebuilding his career with knockout victories over Jorge Moya and Deiner Polo, McGregor says his fight with Englishman Lowe is now a critical bout.
“If you lose, you have to build up again,” McGregor added. “But if you win then all sorts of possibilities will open up for you.
“There’s no beating around the bush here – if I was to lose this one, it’s going to be very, very hard to come back from. But, again, that’s not even in my mind.
“The best version of Lee McGregor beats the best version of Isaac Lowe. That’s my truly honest opinion, not being arrogant, big headed.
“I believe in my own ability and I’ve said this time and time again. I’ve took on every single challenge put to me.”
