Tuesday 8 May 2012 06:26, UK
Carl Froch believes his hometown fans will spur him on to victory when he battles Lucian Bute on May 26 .
Carl Froch believes his hometown fans will spur him on to victory when he battles Lucian Bute for his IBF super-middleweight title on May 26. Froch has frequently fought on his opponents' own turf in the last few years, but he was finally handed a homecoming clash after Bute agreed to face him at Nottingham Arena, live on Sky Sports. The Romanian-born champion is yet to suffer a defeat, but Froch feels he could be unsettled by his first fight in Europe and expects his vocal support to tip the bout even more in his favour. Writing in his column for the Nottingham Post, Froch said: "Coming to my hometown, to my arena, to face me - it's a big ask of any fighter. "Then when you throw in the packed Froch faithful and suddenly it's a mountain to climb! "I've fought on the road for the last two years in the SuperSix tournament and it makes things tougher, when you are sleeping in a strange room in some hotel, having to acclimatize to jet lag and a different atmosphere. "But this time around I'll be sleeping in my own bed just ten minutes away from the venue. That can make all the difference in an evenly-matched fight. "It's going to be the best night out in Nottingham this year and I look forward to hearing your deafening support on the night."
