Amir Khan believes being pushed to the brink of collapse as part of his gruelling new training programme has made him a fitter fighter than ever as he prepares to face Michael Gomez in Birmingham on Saturday.

Khan has been working with strength and conditioning coach Phil Edwards in the build-up to his latest Commonwealth lightweight title defence at the city's sold-out National Indoor Arena.

And the Olympic silver medallist has described being taken to the kind of dark places he hopes never to experience in the ring as he focuses on securing a world title fight early next year.

Khan said: "I've been pushed into situations where I've sat down and not known where my head is. But it's good to feel like that because, one day, I might be feeling the same way in a fight.

"I haven't experienced anything like that kind of pain and exhaustion in a fight so far, not even getting knocked down or going 12 rounds. But if I do end up in that uncomfortable zone, I'll know how to cope with it."

Khan is clearly flourishing in his new training programme headed by Dean Powell, who took over following the Khan camp's fairly acrimonious split with his original trainer Oliver Harrison two months ago.

And he is taking no chances against Gomez, despite the general consensus that the Manchester veteran, who celebrates his 31st birthday on the night of the fight, is too far past his best to pose Khan many problems.

Khan added: "This is a massive fight for Gomez and I know he's going to be dangerous for a couple of rounds. But I treat every fight like a world title fight now because I know everybody is coming to beat me.

"The confidence Gomez got when he upset Alex Arthur in Scotland will make him believe he can win this fight. He's knocked out more opponents than I've had fights and he wants to come back and make his name big again."

This is the last chance for Gomez, who has been uncharacteristically laid back in the fight build-up, as he seeks to defy his critics who say his stunning stoppage of Arthur in Edinburgh in 2003 will remain the pinnacle of his career.

Gomez has lost three of his last six fights, including a bizarre mid-round retirement against Irish journeyman Peter McDonagh in January 2006, and a sixth-round stoppage after a war with Carl Johanneson last October.

But Gomez still showed in the early stages against the Leeds man that he can bring a special kind of ferocity to a contest and will plan to upset Khan - whose progress so far has been relatively serene - and drag him into a battle.

Gomez said: "I'm happy to turn it into a roughhouse brawl. If I'm walking down the street and someone bumps into me, I'm happy to turn it into a roughhouse brawl so I'll definitely do it with Khan.

"I think Khan's a world-class operator but he's been well looked after. People say I've lost my power and I'm shot but I've been to the fountain of youth and I'm going to come back and shock them all."

Besides a projected world title showdown against WBO champion Nate Campbell, Khan has other reasons to impress as this fight with Gomez brings to an end his television deal with ITV.

Khan's promoter Frank Warren is still in discussions with a number of broadcasters with regard to a future path for the 21-year-old, but admits the big fights are not far away provided his man keeps impressing.

Warren said: "I went over to America and spoke to Campbell recently and we both said we wanted to make the fight. I get on with his promoter Don King and it is something we will talk more about after this fight."

On paper, this fight represents an easy night for Khan but, in fact, he could face far more problems than those posed by skilful Dane Martin Kristjansen over six and a half rounds in his last fight in April.

For every minute the fight lasts, Gomez will look to upset the champion as much as possible and seek to take advantage of an often-porous defence in precisely the same way that he brutally exposed Arthur.

Gomez certainly stands an outside chance in an opening first round that can hardly fail to be exciting. It is how much the Manchester man has left to enable him to drag the war much beyond that point that will prove decisive.

The smart money is on Khan riding out the early storm and winning by knockout before the end of the third round. Until then, Khan knows there is no way this is the mismatch many are making it out to be.

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