GOING toe-to-toe with one of the deadliest fighters on the planet in front of a passionate and hostile 50,000 Argentine crowd holds no burning fears for Martin Murray.

Speaking to the Star before heading off to Buenos Aires the 30-year-old revealed his biggest anxieties ahead of this fight of a lifetime are the flying and leaving behind his three children Archie, Amelia and month-old Aisla.

However, having waited a long time for this high profile shot at the world’s best, Murray did have a few doubts when the Falklands sabre rattling began again in Buenos Aires on the 31st anniversary of the islands invasion, but those fears were subsequently calmed and it now about focusing on the fight.

Murray said: “It has been a long camp – and different because we know the scale of the fight. We know that it’s a massive occasion and that we are fighting a top fighter so we have to be at the top of our game.

“It’s been a good camp where I am now ready physically and mentally for the fight and I can’t wait.”

Once again Murray has left the dissecting of every aspect of his opponent’s style up to his trainer Oliver Harrison and this time sparring has been varied given this is the first time he has faced a southpaw.

“As always, l have left everything up to Oliver. He is amazing at what he does – breaking fights down and breaking fighters down.

“He has looked at different ways we can beat Martinez and also the way he can beat me so we have trained against that.

“It is great having someone like Oliver in my corner who I have that much faith and trust in,” he said.

Last year was a frustrating one for Murray, with big name fighters avoiding him, and when he did finally land a plum bout against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr visa issues scuppered it.

So Murray could be forgiven for believing that the fight will only be happening once that first bell goes.

So he was a little concerned when the Falklands – not surprisingly reared its head – and fearful of a diplomatic spat escalating and scuppering the clash.

It was to be expected – it is no coincidence that Martinez has chosen a British fighter for his first bout in his homeland for more than 11 years, but Murray is determined not to be the sacrificial cannon fodder.

The St Helens fighter said: “A few weeks ago when it was proper going on I was getting worried that the fight was going to get pulled. Then I was assured it wasn’t.

“But I knew all the Falklands talk it was going to happen because part of the fight is geared up around the fact that is in April and the anniversary of the Falklands invasion.

“When I went over last time for the press conferences I got asked about the Falklands in every single interview.

“It is not my job to get involved in the politics – I tell all the Argentine press and television people that I am over here to compete in a sport that is all that I want to focus on.

“If I went over there saying ‘the Falklands are ours’ and all that carry on it would just inflame things. I am not interested in that stuff – I am going over to box.”

The fight has been on his mind since Christmas - eating, drinking and sleeping with visions of Martinez has been a massive part of Murray’s life.

But he has had some welcome distractions that have enabled him to switch off away from the gym “All the stuff going on with my wife Gemma being pregnant and now the baby is here, plus my other two kids meant I could get home from training and switch it off.

“But as the fight was getting closer I began thinking about it more – at home, driving in the car and when I am in bed at night.

“All kinds of scenarios of what can happen have gone through my head thousands of times. But I won’t know how it is going to unfold until get out there on fight night.

“I have trained hard for it – not just this past 16 weeks. This is what all those sacrifices I have made over the years have been for.

“I have focused my life on boxing and I am not going to let Martinez let it all be for nothing.

“I have got my head around how hostile it is going to be in the arena, but I have known that from day one. I am not expecting it to be anything less.

“It is just the build up – once I step into that ring it has gone.

“It is a feeling I am looking forward to because once I get to that point I know I will have done all the hard work and realistically should be going out there to enjoy myself for 36 minutes.”