Kevin Mitchell is relishing the prospect of fighting Scotland's Ricky Burns in front of the world champion's home crowd.

Up to 10,000 fans are expected at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre in Glasgow on Saturday as Burns defends his WBO lightweight title against the Dagenham fighter.

But Mitchell beat Mancunian John Murray last year in a high-profile contest in Liverpool and had a glint in his eye and a wry smile this afternoon when some of the 400-strong crowd booed him at an open weigh-in at the SECC.

And he is happy to take any hostile reaction that comes his way tomorrow night.

"I'll love it," the Essex fighter said. "Once the fight has happened and I'm in there fighting and I've won, the crowd will respect me for being a fighter.

"I've been in big fights before, (Breidis) Prescott and Murray, (Michael) Katsidis when I wasn't on form.

"I was in front of 20,000 fans when I fought Carl Johanneson at the O2 when I was 22 or 23.

"I've been in big, big fights, but this is the biggest. This is everything. I've prepared well and I have no worries."

Mitchell, whose only defeat came against Katsidis at Upton Park, added: "I've always been happy to go in with anyone. Chuck me in with any big name, when I'm fit I'll be confident. That's the way I am.

"I've been fighting since I was a 10-year-old and it doesn't really bother me who I fight, where I fight.

"When I'm fit and prepared for something, I have no worries."

Burns is looking for his seventh win in a world title fight having previously held the WBO super-featherweight belt, which he relinquished to take on and beat Katsidis.

Mitchell admitted he did not prepare properly for his own title fight with the Australian, who took him out in three rounds, but he has not looked on with envy as his friend Burns' career went from strength to strength.

"I believe there are patterns in life and things happen for certain reasons," the 27-year-old said.

"Ricky has done very well and come through his career very well.

"He has had his chances and taken them and done very well.

"I believe this is my chance and I want to take this one."

The pair showed little sign of friendship when they squared up at the weigh-in but they had greeted each other warmly and spoken at length at the previous day's head-to-head press conference.

"We are friends but we get in there and fight, it's a job," Mitchell said.

"After, we'll have a kiss and a cuddle and have a beer together, it's only a job."

Burns weighed in dead on the 135-pound limit, with Mitchell half a pound lighter on the scales.