Michael Gomez will dredge up the memory of his greatest triumph as he aims to score another stunning upset and end the unbeaten record of Amir Khan at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham tonight.

Gomez, who is celebrating his 31st birthday, is best known for his clattering fifth-round knockout win over highly-touted and also unbeaten Scot Alex Arthur in Edinburgh in 2003.

And while the Manchester man is keen to draw as many parallels as possible with that win, he insists talk of him being well past his best five years on is wide of the mark and intends to prove it.

Gomez said: "I am going into this fight in a stronger frame of mind than I was for the Arthur fight and in better shape.

"I usually go in there to blow people away but this time I'm prepared for a long, hard fight.

"It's all about frame of mind. That's what I've been working on and that's why I know I'm going to win this fight. If I win this fight I will prove the whole world wrong. I've got every incentive you could want."

Bare facts work against Gomez's theory, as has lost three of his last six contests including a conclusive stoppage loss to Carl Johanneson in a British title challenge in Doncaster last October.

But Khan knows the wild man whose troubled life story has been well documented still possesses enough raw fury to make his 18th professional test potentially one of the trickiest of his career to date.

Khan said: "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."

Khan has many reasons to impress, not least his intention to muscle in on the world-title scene and challenge WBO champion Nate Campbell early next year.

Gomez ought to give Khan what he wants. Contrary to his stated intention this week, the Manchester man is bound to storm forward knowing an early knockout is his best chance of success.

That should play right into the hands of the quick counter-punching Khan, making it exciting while it lasts for the impressive 10,000 sell-out crowd eager to see big-time boxing return to Birmingham.

They may get less than six minutes of action but what they get is almost guaranteed to be exciting. Khan may have to ride a brief storm but will prove just too good and get the job done in style.

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