Matthew Macklin is aware Jason Welborn will be all out to change his fight identity in Birmingham on October 17, but knows the English champion isn’t a fighter of Jason Bourne standards and admits if he suffers defeat on the Sky broadcast show he will retire.

The three time World champion has his sights set on a fourth World tilt and has 2016 World title ambitions. Defeat to 29 year old 17-3 fighter Welborn would all but put paid to those hopes and Macklin says if he loses he will hang up his gloves.

“It’s a step down for me but sometimes you have to regroup,” said Macklin, who has lost six of his 38 contests.
“If I lost I’d definitely retire. I still want to be a world champion.”

“I can’t afford to drop down to his level,” Macklin told BBC WM 95.6. “I’m several levels above, I’ve consistently proved that.

Macklin, who unsuccessfully fought for the world middleweight crown against Felix Sturm, Sergio Martinez and Gennady Golovkin, knows he has the tools to defeat a fighter who hasn’t fought at the same level, but is also aware this is a chance for Welborn to claim a massive scalp and change his life.

“I’m conscious it’s going to feel like a world title fight for him, so he’s going to box out of his skin. He wants to get where I’ve been and I want to get back there – I have to train hard and do everything right.”

The former Irish, British and European champion drops to light middleweight for the first time since his all action fight of the decade with Jamie Moore.

Macklin, who first fights in Spain this weekend,  believes the change in weight will give him a new lease of life.

“They’re probably hoping I struggle to make the weight but it’s not going to be a problem,” Macklin said. “I feel like going down to 154 pounds will give me a new lease of life.”