By Scott Gilfoid: Not only is IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute (30-0, 24 KO’s) unafraid to fight former WBC super middleweight champion Carl Froch (28-2, 20 KO’s) in his home city of Nottingham, UK, but Bute is actually looking forward to it so he can test himself by beating Froch in front of a large British crowd.

Bute told Monitorulsv.ro, “I know what it’s like to fight in front of 15,000 [fans] and your opponent has just 100 fans in the crowd. Now, if I go to Nottingham, it will be 15,000 fans against me and just 100 fans for me, so I will feel what it’s like to fight away from home. I embrace the idea of fighting in the opponent’s court. This gives me energy. I will be more aggressive, I will be strong and I intend to obtain an important win away from home, and this I will do well.”

It sounds like Bute is incredibly confident about beating Froch, because it’s going to be very tough for Bute to win a decision in Nottingham. We saw Andre Dirrell dominate Froch for 12 rounds in October 2009 in Nottingham, only to go home loser by a 12 round split decision. Bute seems to be counting on his power in making sure that he takes the judges out of the equation in this fight. He’s going to need to hurt Froch to the body or the head if he’s to get a win in this fight, because I think Bute will have a really hard time when it comes to getting a decision in Nottingham. Believe me, if Dirrell couldn’t a decision fighting in Froch’s home city, then I can’t see Bute getting one either.

Bute is still idealistic about fighting in Froch’s home city. He hasn’t been jobbed yet, but once he tastes the bitter sting up being ripped off in an away fight, he’ll likely have to be dragged kicking and screaming to another opponent’s home city to risk suffering the same fate. The one thing that Bute has in his favor is his power. He hits hard to the head and body, and he could out Froch down with one of his body shots or uppercuts to the head. Dirrell had Froch stunned twice with big left hands; Jermain Taylor had Froch down in their 2009 fight, and Mikkel Kessler had Froch staggering in his win over him. If those guys could hurt Froch, then Bute surely has the power to knock Froch out and completely take the judges out of the fight.