WORLD title contender Martin Murray says he will be drawing on the inspirational words of Steve Prescott when he prepares for the biggest battle of his life in February.

The 32-year-old Fingerpost fighter describes his match-up with the unbeaten WBA Super and IBO middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin in Monte Carlo as the toughest challenge he has faced in the ring.

Murray knows that the big-hitting Kazakh champ, who has demolished 28 of his 31 victims by knockout, will represent a massive the step up in class and physicality but that is just what he wants.

He said: “It is a tough one but the harder the fight the better I perform.

“Just as Steve Prescott said, ‘a challenge is not a challenge unless it is challenging’ and Golovkin is the biggest challenge of my life but one I am looking forward to.”

After drawing with Felix Sturm in Germany and being edged by Sergio Martinez in Buenos Aires in his previous title attempts, Murray reckons this one is already feeling much bigger.

It has certainly captured the public’s imagination with the Barmy Army snapping up all of the 250-ticket allocation within a week of going on sale.

Terrestrial television exposure has helped too, with Channel 5 posting excellent viewing figures for Murray’s win over Domenico Spada which set up the title tussle they are again expected to broadcast on terrestrial television.

Murray said: “I am feeling it is bigger than the Martinez fight and all the other ones because I know it is physically going to be a harder fight against a better opponent, so it feels massive to me.

“Everyone else is buzzing about this one and looking forward to it – it is a big thing for us all because Golovkin has got a massive, massive reputation and is undefeated.

“But to be honest I think the other thing that has captured the imagination was the fact that Saints are also going for their own world title on at the same weekend.

“It is a massive weekend for the town and hopefully all will go well for me and the lads at Saints and we can be double world champions over the course of a weekend, which would be unbelievable.”

Although Murray will go into the ring in Monte Carlo as the underdog, he is not going in already beaten – a trait he believes has weighed down so many of Golovkin’s previous conquests.

He is using much of that talk as motivation – and will never be as switched on for a bout as he will for this one.

“I ignore all the talk about Golovkin being invincible and the more they big him up and write me off the better,” said Murray.

“It is a win-win for me when people think Golovkin is going around like Mike Tyson in his prime, smashing people up. Everyone is expecting him to do me in a couple of rounds but that motivates me.

“No disrespect to Spada and Bursak, my last two opponents, but I was completely in control.

“It proved I was ready for a tougher fight and Golovkin is going to give me that. I am just looking forward it.”