The Dillian Whyte-backed Croatian (4-0, 4 KOs) enhanced his growing reputation as ‘The Savage’ by destroying American Shawndell Winters in two rounds on the Matchroom Fight Camp finale last month, and the 29-year-old is out to impress again in what will be his third outing in the UK next week.

“I’ve missed being ‘The Savage’, he wants to see blood,” said Babic. “He’s crazy, he’s not normal. Life has changed dramatically following my win over Shawndell Winters. I’ve gone from being an unknown guy to a guy that is getting mentioned with the top names in the division. It’s crazy.

“I only heard about Niall Kennedy when it was announced – I’d found out about an hour before. Dillian knows that I don’t care who I fight. I will fight anyone. I told him to pick whoever he wants, and I will destroy them. I don’t see myself having any problems with these guys until I get into the top ten or five.

“They sent me the name, I searched him and he’s like 102^nd in the world, that’s okay. He is not that known. He is a good fighter actually. He’s a good boxer but I’m not going to play that game with him. I’m going to play my game. He says I’m a loudmouth. That’s beautiful, I like that! I really like that because it is going to be easier to wake up ‘The Savage’.

“He’s going to know that he’s in deep waters with me. He had a fight a year ago and he lost by knockout, to some guy that I would knockout in one round. I don’t think he has anything to trouble me with. He’s too slow. I’m not saying bad shit about him, but I think his best days are numbered. He’s done now and I’m just starting out. I’m going to operate on him like a surgeon.

“Is he bigger than Dillian Whyte? Is he a bigger puncher than Dillian? I have done eight rounds with Dillian many times. I don’t think he is better than Dillian. Size doesn’t matter and I’m going to show that again, and I need to do that every time I fight. I like to be small. I’m going to be smaller than all of them.

“I don’t think anyone sees Niall beating me. I don’t think even Niall thinks he will beat me. I want him to think he will, but I just don’t see it. He isn’t a knockout artist, he doesn’t have the punch power. Niall will be in deep waters that he won’t be able to control. I’m not going to let him breathe. It’s not going to be a boring fight. Tune in because it’s going to be a huge KO.”

Babic vs. Kennedy is part of a big night of action that sees Croydon’s rising Light-Heavyweight star Joshua Buatsi (12-0, 10 KOs) defend his WBA International Title against undefeated Croat Marko Calic (11-0, 6 KOs), Chantelle Cameron (12-0, 7 KOs) lands a World Title shot in her very first fight as a Matchroom fighter as she takes on Brazil’s Adriana Dos Santos Araujo (6-0, 1 KO) for the vacant WBC Super-Lightweight crown, Luton’s Linus Udofia (15-0, 7 KOs) puts his English Middleweight Title on the line for the first time against Dillian Whyte-backed Brixton man John Harding Jr (8-1-1, 2 KOs), Aqib Fiaz (5-0) and Kane Baker (13-6) look to settle the score after their Fight Camp disappointment and recent Matchroom signing John Hedges make his pro debut at Super-Middleweight.