Thumbs up for Hannah Rankin taking the belts.

Thumbs down for Ema Kozin leaving with the titles.

Ema Kozin is in this title fight for a reason.

A 25-fight career has yielded only the sole loss and that came against undisputed middleweight champion Claressa Shields back in 2022.

Her record boasts 12 victories via knockout too.

Since that loss to Shields, the 27-year-old has won in back-to-back fights in order to earn her spot in the ring for a crack at the belts this evening.

Image source, Getty Images

It's what we're all here for.

Rankin v Kozin is next.

In the bout prior to Rankin's fight, Scotland's Nathaniel 'The Nightmare' Collins retained British and Commonwealth featherweight championships by majority decision.

He's unbeaten in 14 now but wow, was he pushed all the way.

His opponent Zak Miller, who is a local boy from where the fight is taking place, took him to the 12th and final round.

A tremendous effort from both fighters there. Seriously, that final round was the very definition of toe-to-toe boxing. They left everything in the ring there.

Should Hannah Rankin leave the ring victorious tonight she will be Scotland's first female unified world champion.

A chance to further cement her place in the Scottish boxing history books.

Richie Woodhall
Former boxing world champion on TNT Sports

It's a tough fight for her tonight, Hannah Rankin, going for that world title.

But I think she can do it.

This evening's world title fight will consist of 10 rounds, with the rounds being two minutes in length.

It's a sign that women's boxing is edging closer to parity with the men's side of the sport.

In a statement made last month a collection of women boxers said: "In our sport we have made progress but there is still far to go.

"We stand together with the desire and dedication to have the choice to perform on the same stage, with the same rules, as men in professional boxing.

"We have earned the choice of three-minute rounds, with 12 rounds for championship fights to demonstrate our skill and greatness.

Image source, SNS

Rankin is an advocate for the three-minute rounds, feeling it would suit her style "perfectly", but believes incremental steps might be the best path.

"I think two-minute rounds are just exciting to watch, however, I do believe we need 12 two-minute rounds if we are going to stick to that length," Rankin said.

"We need 12 rounds at the world title stage, I think that would be the next best step forward.

"Hopefully I can speak to the WBC about that when I become champion, because when you're a champion you can push for these things just like Amanda Serrano has done."

Click here to read more about the push for parity called for by female fighters.

Hannah Rankin has a brief chat with TNT Sports prior to entering her dressing room for some last-minute tweaks and preparations.

"It would mean the world taking 2 world titles back to Scotland," she said.

"I’m ready to get in there and get my hands on those belts.

"I’m ready for this one, I've had some of the best preparation I could have."

Coral Barry
BBC Sport combat sports editor in Manchester

Manchester's AO Arena is hardly a third full as we await Hannah Rankin's ringwalk.

It seems quite early for a world title fight, nay a unified world title fight, but Rankin is one of seven title fights on this card with Nick Ball v Isaac Dogboe and Denzel Bentley v Nathan Heaney at the top of the bill.

This fight means a great deal to Rankin who saw her last chance to become unified champion end with a lacklustre points loss to Terri Harper just over a year ago.

Not seen any Scotland flags yet but I'm sure I will soon!

Bobbie Jackson
BBC Sport MMA journalist

The Scot won the WBA and IBO light-middleweight belts after beating Maria Lindberg in 2021, but she lost the titles following a unanimous decision defeat against Terri Harper in 2022.

Rankin, who returned to winning ways with a dominant victory against Holler in March, "would love the chance" to rematch British rival Harper, but recognises she needs to put her hands on the WBC belt before that dream becomes a reality.

The WBC light-middleweight title became available after Natasha Jonas opted to move down to welterweight and became a two-weight world champion earlier this year.

Rankin previously held the WBC Silver middleweight belt - it was her first title in the professional ranks in 2018 - and wants to "turn it gold" this weekend.

"I'm so ready for this fight, I couldn't be more ready," says Rankin.

"I'm absolutely buzzing that I'm getting the opportunity to fight for the WBC [title]. The WBC Silver was my first proper professional title early on in my career and I always promised myself I was going to get the world title.

"This is me about to complete a personal promise to myself."

Scotland's Hannah Rankin enters the ring to face Slovenia's Ema Kozin with not one but two belts on the line.

The vacant WBC and WBO light-heavyweight belts are there to be won this evening in Manchester.

"I'm so ready for this fight, I couldn't be more ready," said Rankin in the build-up.

Are you?

Stick with us for all the action and pre-fight chat right here.

Image source, Getty Images