Moses Itauma has vowed to copy Mike Tyson in the ring on Saturday night - and then do the complete opposite outside it.
Itauma, 21, will become the second-youngest fighter to win a heavyweight world title if he beats Filip Hrgovic in London. He would fall just short of Tyson's long-standing record, set when a 20-year-old Iron Mike knocked out Trevor Berbick in 1986. Tyson, however, went on to struggle with the fame and fortune which came with being the Baddest Man on the Planet.
Learning from Tyson's downfall
He spent three years in prison after being convicted of rape and blew hundreds of millions of dollars before filing for bankruptcy. And Itauma, who can also become the youngest Brit to win a heavyweight world title, is determined to learn from his predecessor's mistakes.
"I've always said I wanted to start off like Mike Tyson started off, but not to end up how Mike Tyson ended up," he said. "Now I'm in the shoes Mike Tyson was in, in terms of all the fame and accolades and whatnot at such a young age, and I'm starting to see and realise why he fell off the way he did.
Coping with newfound fame
"I just don't want to make the same mistakes he made. I'm slowly wrapping my head around around these things and I guess that's why I'm so heavily into books, because I've never been in this position before.
"I've been boxing for for over 10 years, but I've never been in a position where my face is all over the UK, and people are recognising me at places where I don't want to be recognised, or where I just want to be left alone. Coping with that needs a certain degree of mental toughness and I'm taking necessary precautions to handle it the way I believe I should."
Itauma faces Hrgovic on Saturday, August 29, at London's O2 Arena, with the fight available on DAZN pay-per-view for £24.99 or at no extra cost with DAZN Ultimate.
