At the age of 34, Michael Conlan knows it is win or bust if he is to achieve his dream of becoming a world champion.
He had a decorated amateur career and had been tipped to reach the top of the professional ranks when he made the switch after the 2016 Olympics.
The Belfast boxer has had shots at his dream, against Leigh Wood in 2022 and Luis Alberto Lopez the following year, but fell short on both occasions.
A third professional defeat followed to Jordan Gill in December 2023, but back-to-back wins have him back in the hunt for the elusive world title.
American Kevin Walsh awaits at the SSE Arena in Belfast on Friday, and for Conlan, he knows “every single fight is all or nothing now”.
“To be honest, people think it has pressure, but I think it releases so much pressure,” Conlan told BBC Sport N.
“You just enjoy the moment now because for a lot of my career, I don’t think I probably enjoyed every moment.
“I was too focused on what was next, what was next, what was next.
“But now I’m at a stage where you’ve got to enjoy it because it could be the last one, every single one.”
