Josh Taylor focused on defending world titles against friend Jack Catterall

Josh Taylor will make the first defence of his undisputed crown at 140lbs when he takes on Jack Catterall on February 26.

The Scot has admitted that while there is no 'bad blood' between himself and Catterall, he will have a fighting mindset when they collide in the ring.

Taylor unified all four junior welterweight belts with a convincing decision win over the previously undefeated Jose Ramirez in May, which also extended his unbeaten record to 18-0.

Speaking at The Royal Scots Club in Edinburgh, where both boxers were publicising their fight at The SSE Hydro Arena, 30-year-old Taylor revealed a changed attitude towards Catterall - also unbeaten with a 26-0 record and a former British and WBO Intercontinental champion.

He said: "I like Jack. I have a lot of time for him. There is no bad blood there, there never has been. But the mindset towards him now changes and that is easy for me.

"I can change the mindset with a click of my fingers. I am a fighting man and it is easy to change that mindset.

"I am getting sick of looking at his face already. I just want to get in the ring and beat him up and keep my belts.

"At the end of the day, he is coming for what I worked so hard to achieve. I came up the hard way, I had to beat champion after champion, undefeated fighter after undefeated fighter so he is getting the chance of all this glory in one fight.

"It is my job to make sure he gets nowhere near it. I don't think he will bring anything I haven't seen before and he hasn't fought anywhere near the level that I have. This will be a telling factor on fight night."

The Prestonpans fighter admits some frustration that he was denied a festive bout.

He said: "Who wants to be running and training on Christmas Day and not eating the turkey and pigs in blankets and all the trimmings, who wants to be sacrificing for me the best part of the year when you get to catch up with family and friends and celebrate with people you haven't seen for while?

"It is frustrating but I am used to it. Last year was the only year as an athlete that I got to enjoy Christmas so I am used to it."

Catterall is "relishing the opportunity" to show his skills.

The 28-year-old said: "All the belts are on the line and these opportunities don't come around often.

"I have to go in there, soak up the atmosphere and put in a good performance.

"Josh is up there with the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world, he's got all the belts but right now he is the enemy and I want what he has got. I won't just be there to take part.

"I have been knocking at the door of these world titles for some years now so I will be coming up with bad intentions.

"The Glasgow fans will see 17 years of hard work, not just 12 weeks of camp.

"It will be all the fights, all the learning, all the lessons, it will be everything put together on one night."