Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez shrugs off unification talk ahead of Miguel Cotto world title bout

Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez has shrugged off talk of future middleweight unification bouts ahead of facing Miguel Cotto this weekend.

The Mexican (45-1-1-KO32) takes on WBC world champion Cotto (40-4-KO33) in Las Vegas but with other divisional champions Andy Lee and Daniel Jacobs also in action in the near future, Alvarez is refusing to look further than his attempt to dethrone the Puerto Rican.

"My focus is winning this fight - it's very important," he said. "Whatever happens after this fight, will happen after this fight, but this is my primary focus.

This is a very difficult fight - it's a 50/50 fight. I'm here, I'm ready to win, and I'm willing to win. All my fights are necessary to win.

"Once it's over, we will determine which direction we will go. This is a very difficult, 50/50 fight. I'm here, I'm ready to win, and I'm willing to win. All my fights are necessary to win."

Both fighters have a defeat to Floyd Mayweather on their record but Alvarez says comparisons of their relative performances against the now-retired champion have no bearing on Saturday's outcome.

"All fights are different, all styles are different, so that's not going to affect me at all," he added.

"He may have done better against Mayweather. However, I did better against Austin Trout, and Cotto didn't do that good against Austin Trout.

"All of my fights, I learned something. There are some important fights, there are some difficult fights, but with all these combined fights you gain experience, and with that experience I'm going to display that on Saturday night."