Mike Alvarado has vowed not to get drawn into a war by Ruslan Provodnikov

Mike Alvarado: Has skills to go with warrior instinct

In a potential barn-burner, Alvarado is coming off two memorable fights with Brandon Rios, while Provodnikov pushed Timothy Bradley to his limits in March.

But while the previously undefeated Alvarado was drawn into a scrap in his first encounter with Rios, he later avenged that defeat by taking a more considered approach.

"I know I can box, I don't have to just sit there and exchange punches and make it a war," he said. "I'm seasoned at a higher level and I'm going to utilise my skills that people haven't really seen.

"I'm going to stay super-focused, I proved that in the Rios fight and I'm going to prove that again in this fight."

The WBO light-welterweight champion makes his first defence of the belt at the 1stBank Center in Denver, and the American is delighted to be fighting in front of a home crowd.

"I don't look at it as pressure, I see it as more energy to me and I'll feed off that good, positive energy," he added. "That will help me push harder to give my home town the best of me."