WORLD middleweight title contender Martin Murray has sacrificed his family life for the next six weeks by moving his training camp to South Africa.

Murray has cranked up the intensity of his preparation ahead of his crunch February 21 clash with WBC Interim and WBA and IBO middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin in Monte Carlo.

The Fingerpost fighter is halfway through a gruelling 12-week training programme, which his adviser Andrew Mikhail describes as “pure hell”, as he equips himself for the toughest fight of his 31-bout professional career against the unbeaten Kazakh fighter.

Murray has gone to Johannesburg, taking advantage of the city’s altitude, the warm African conditions and excellent training facilities.

But before he flew out on Sunday, Murray made a short trip to the grave of John Chisnall, his former trainer at St Helens Town ABC, who died in August 2005.

Although Murray has gone desperately close in two previous world title fights - controversially drawing against Felix Sturm and losing on points to Sergio Martinez - he believes that the sacrifice he is going through in leaving his wife and three children behind is one he has had to make to give him that extra edge.

Murray intends leading a Spartan training existence, going out only to workout at the gym on the eastern side of Johannesburg.

He will have trainer Oliver Harrison, two UK sparring partners and his chef alongside, leaving nothing to chance in his third championship crack.

Although Murray respects the big hitting Golovkin, he dismisses the punditry that declares he will be yet another lamb to the slaughter next month.

Murray said: “This is once in a lifetime, a massive fight. I’m up for it, I really am.

“Golovkin is favourite, but I’ve been in this position before, against Sergio Martinez.

“I don’t focus on what people say. I’m doing what I do. The more people who think he beats me, the better.”

Murray revealed that he has spent a lot of time watching tapes of Golovkin, who has won all of his 31 fights, with 28 of those successes by knockout.

“I like watching the best of my opponents. It switches me on more,” he observes.

“I’m big for a middleweight and have a lot of advantages in size and defence.”

His sparring partners, who will be supplemented by South African fighters, will be expected to mimic Golovkin.

“I want them throwing bombs, that’s what I’m looking for,” Murray says excitedly.

Understandably, Mikhail is backing our man to shake up the world.

He said: “Martin is putting himself through the pain barrier like I’ve never seen before. It’s on a different level.

“His mind is so powerful, it’s unbelievable.

“Things could hardly be worse than fighting in Argentina, as he did in 2013, when he had 50,000 Argentines baying for him, spitting on him.

“In Monte Carlo three-quarters of the arena will be full of Englishmen.

“We recently watched all his fights. Martin is far and away the best he will have fought.”

Murray is totally focused, declaring: “I want this more than anything. This is my time. I must keep cracking on.”