Bedroom farce fails to rattle boxer Maxi Hughes
Quietly and with little public attention, a South Yorkshire boxer is this week aiming to manoeuvre himself into a world title fight.
Maxi Hughes, who often doesn't get the acclaim he deserves, takes part in a WBA lightweight title eliminator 4,500 miles from home.
He is scheduled to go 12 rounds with Bakhodur Usmonov from the former Soviet republic of Tajikistan.
Neither man has many links with the host nation, the United Arab Emirates, but Usmonov is regarded as the home fighter in an event promoted by IBA Pro.
And since Hughes made the journey from Doncaster to Dubai, he's felt like he's the man the business brains behind the show would like to see fall to the wayside, in the title eliminator.
The former IBO world champion said there had been the "typical tactics" to ruffle a visiting fighter - including asking his four-man team to share one room with one bed.
"It's been OK during the build-up, but I definitely feel as though they are treating us as the away fighter" he said.
"They tried not giving us (his team) our own (hotel) rooms when we arrived, but we put our foot down and said we were not having it.
"They gave us our own rooms and we have settled in, and I am looking forward to it. We're all good."
There is quite a contrast between the two opponents.
Hughes is a 35-year-old southpaw with a 29-7-2 record.
Unbeaten Usmonov is a 27-year-old orthodox fighter with 11 wins, five via knockout.
"I have watched his fights. He was a decent amateur but has only had 11 fights as a professional. But I am not underestimating him or taking him lightly.
"They are treating me as the away fighter as he has signed for IBA Promotions" said Maxi, formerly of Rossington, now living in Haxey.
"I am more than confident of getting the job done, my experience is a lot better than his and I have fought at a higher level and had more impressive victories than him, and that is what will get me through this fight and get my mandatory (position.)"
He suspects American boxer Gervonta "Tank" Davis might vacate his WBA title, which means that he could face another US fighter, Floyd Schofield for the belt.