Brian Magee moved up from super middleweight last year

The contest will be the first British championship fight ever to be held in the Republic of Ireland.

"It's going to take a special, special fighter to take it from me and no disrespect but Brian Magee isn't that fighter," said Oakey.

"It doesn't matter if the fight is in Dublin or our back gardens."

Despite his confident talk, Oakey insists that he has "an awful lot of respect for Brian".

"We both turned professional around the same time and I've bumped into him a few times over the years and always got on well with him so I'm not going to start trash talking."

Oakey has yet to study any video of Magee but will rectify that in the coming week.

I might just have to get down to the bookies and put a few quid on myself, Tony Oakey

"I'm not one for watching tapes to be honest although I'll probably watch some of Brian's fights next week.

"That's not to say I'm taking him lightly because I've left no stone unturned in preparing for this.

"I've prepared for this fight as if it's going to be the toughest fight of my career even though I don't think it will actually turn out that way."

Some Irish bookies have Magee down as favourite for the bout which has surprised Oakey.

"If that's the case then I might just have to get down to the bookies and put a few quid on myself," said the Portsmouth boxer.

"I think the bookies are forgetting that this is Brian's first title fight up at light heavyweight and my biggest asset is my strength.

I'll have more energy in the championship rounds because I was working so hard to make super middleweight Brian Magee

"I'm a proper light heavyweight and my strength combined with my workrate is going to be the difference in this fight especially in the later rounds."

For his part, Magee believes he will take control in the closing stages of the bout.

"I'll have more energy in the championship rounds because I was working so hard to make super middleweight that I just couldn't carry my strength through the full twelve rounds," said Magee.

"I'm far more comfortable at light heavyweight. I still have to work to get down to the weight but it's not a struggle anymore and I feel far better for it."

The bout will be the chief supporting contest to Bernard Dunne's European super-bantamweight title defence against Spain's Kiko Martinez.

Magee is training with Dunne in the run-up to their respective bouts and he believes that it is helping both of them.

Unbeaten Irish fighters Paul McCloskey and Andy Lee will also be on the Point Depot bill.