Now then, the lights go low, the lasers beam around the Traktor Sport Palace, and Anthony Yarde rises on a platform from beneath the ground... to near silence, outside of his ring walk track. A little shuffle from the Brit, he's enjoying it.

Not sure about a world title fight, this is more what I'd imagine it'd be like stepping into a Chelyabinsk nightclub.

Luke Reddy
BBC Sport boxing reporter

Image source, .

I've been lucky enough to spend time with Anthony Yarde and his trainer Tunde Ajayi in the gym. It's safe to say there is a real energy about all they do. Everything is positive and about being built up. The question is, what if you're built up and then meet adversity? That may come tonight, so what has Yarde got?

During training, those around Yarde repeatedly shout "Lions in the camp". It's a mantra they've thrown out there for years now, so just how big of a lion is their man?

One of the signs in Yarde's Peacock Gym in London talks of miracles taking a little while. He's waited for his world-title shot, so will we see him pull off a miracle?

You can read more on Yarde here.

But first.

"Please welcome, from Great Britain, Anthooonnnnyy Yarde..."

We're getting a rousing pre-recorded speech from Sergey Kovalev about his home city. He's sold me...

"I'm home," concludes the Russian.

Image source, Getty Images

Anthony Yarde says Sergey Kovalev's experience will count for little when he faces the WBO light-heavyweight champion.

The Russian, 36, has contested a world title in each of his last 15 fights but this will be 28-year-old Yarde's first attempt.

"This is a fight of experience and youth," said Yarde. "Experience plays a part but how you perform on the night is what matters."

Sounds like it's almost time for the ring walks...

But can Kovalev do this...

Tyson Fury: I really do fancy Yarde. I think Kovalev is on the slide. A good young man should beat a good older one. I fancy Yarde to stop him.

Deontay Wilder: I like Yarde, everything about him. I like Kovalev too but I think he has been there so I am going with the young kid, Yarde.

Joe Calzaghe: Yarde is an experienced fighter but I think it might be a bit too soon for him. I think Kovalev has a bit too much experience.

Carl Frampton: Yarde looks the part. It's alright looking the part against lesser opposition. I hope he does it but if I had £1 to stick on either I'd stick it on Kovalev.

Image source, Getty Images

This has the feel of a Rocky movie, no prizes for guessing which one...

Anthony Yarde might not have been running up and down steps in Philadelphia as part of his training and isn't heading to Russia on a revenge mission in honour of a former mate, but the Brit's willingness to take Sergey Kovalev on in his home city of Chalyabinsk is brave.

Snatch a surprise win on the outskirts of the Ural Mountains and Yarde might just write his own movie script...

Mike Costello on Tunde Ajayi's 'System 9': "Tunde has come in for a lot of stick and this fight could be the endorsement of all he has been saying about building a fighter to a world title.

"The main thing for me is sparring. He says in limiting sparring it minimises damage but everyone I have spoken to says it is absolutely crucial. As with any trainer in any sport, he needs an endorsement. If Yarde wins there will be people queuing at his door."

Steve Bunce said: "I hate to sound old school but you have to spar and there has to be a degree of hard contact in the build-up to a fight of this magnitude. I think there are some hard spars that go on behind closed doors, maybe just not six weeks' worth. My one fear here is if Anthony Yarde just falls short people will try to crush Tunde."

Anthony Yarde is still seeking such a breakthrough win but his trainer Tunde Ajayi insists a self-devised system to teach the sport means his fighter is ready.

Ajayi's system - named 'System 9' - has been mocked by many. It involves minimal sparring, endless repetition during pad workouts and, he says, can never be completed, meaning a fighter can't reach a ceiling while following it.

He has at times likened it to following a grading system used in karate.

"I have never judged Anthony on his opponents or his fights, I base things on where he is in the system," explains Ajayi.

"I know for him to compete at a certain level he needs to be at a certain point in the system. A year with me is like five years in traditional boxing and Anthony has put in the work."

This fight takes place in the Traktor Sport Palace, which I'm sure you'll be keen to learn usually plays host to Kontinental Hockey League side Traktor Chelyabinsk.

Don't confuse it with Traktor Stadium though - that's the home of Dinamo Minsk, a 30-hour car journey away in Belarus.

Image source, Getty Images

Sergey Kovalev shot to prominence when he ruthlessly dismantled Britain's Nathan Cleverly in four rounds in Cardiff in 2013 to claim a world title for the first time.

The win changed his life and that of his promoter Egis Klimas, who had moved to the US as a Lithuanian immigrant in the 1980s and found work folding Pizza Hut boxes before forging a path to success.

Image source, Getty Images

'Lions in the camp' has long been a mantra for Anthony Yarde and his team, one Sergey Kovalev has been paying attention to.

"He calls himself a lion but to me he is a cub," said the Russian.

"I will have to get rid of all that baby fur off his skin so he will run away back home.

"He has had a lot of fights and he's won them by KO. He thinks he will knock me out, but Saturday will show."

Image source, Getty Images

Londoner Anthony Yarde made his professional debut in 2015 and beat Travis Reeves in March for his 17th knockout win from 18 fights.

"Where I've come from, I rose very quickly to be here," he said. "I'm happy to be at this level and I'm going to make the most of it.

"I'm going to focus on myself, be the best I can be and get the knockout victory, because that's what I feel I need to do to win the fight."

Image source, Getty Images

Now, my career as a travel writer never panned out, but here's a Richard Ayoade-style guide to 48 hours in Chelyabinsk...

Chelyabinsk is a city in west-central Russia, close to the Ural Mountains, that has a population of 1.2m people - making it the country's seventh-biggest city.

Temperatures can plummet to around -14C during the winter, but Anthony Yarde fans visiting this month can expect a more pleasant stay in the early 20s.

Six years ago, a meteor exploded at high altitude above the city - some sources say it was a single, 17-metre wide, 11,000 tonne meteor, others suggest a meteor shower - and the shock waves caused by the explosion injured more than 1,000 people.

Lonely Planet describes it as "industrial and earthy" with "broad avenues, numerous green spaces, and a few interesting museums", including one showcasing the meteor remnants.

Among Tripadvisor's top things to see are the zoo, the State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre and Lake Uvildy, though the top-ranked attraction is Pedestrian Street Kirovka - which boasts an array of statues and reviews such as "Really Cool!", "Fun and Interesting" and "Must Visit!".

It's a seven hour, 45 minutes flight from London and a three-star hotel will set up back on average around £29.

Steve Bunce
BBC Radio 5 Live boxing pundit

This is not just Russia, it's the far eastern part of Russia to fight the great Kovalev - an enormous task, one I would argue is one of the most severe tests ever for a British boxer on the road.

I'll tell you this though, this kid Yarde doesn't care, his trainer doesn't care. If anything, the man inconvenienced is Kovalev. He will be leaving the delights of his homes in Los Angeles to fly home to where every man and his dog will want a piece of their icon, their idol.

I am bothered that Yarde gets a fair crack of the whip. History tells you that the more severe the place you travel to, it's harder to come away with a win. I would say this is extreme. I think this is a brutal ask for young Yarde.

Mind you, Arsenal fan Anthony Yarde will be hoping he can defend better than the Gunners at Anfield this evening...