Kell Brook defends his IBF World welterweight title for the first time since his first career defeat to Gennady Golovkin against unbeaten American Errol Spence Jr on Saturday night.

The Sheffield-born fighter will look to avenge his first professional defeat at middleweight at Bramall Lane - the home of his boyhood club Sheffield United - as he drops two divisions to defend his IBF title.

In what is anticipated to be one of the biggest fights for British boxing in 2017, Spence will take on only his second fight outside of the United States in a bid to claim his first world title.

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America has high hopes for the unbeaten 27-year-old who boasts a record of 21-0-KO18 and hold a genuine belief that they can inflict back-to-back defeats on the Sheffield fighter.

Brook has recently spent time in Fuerteventura training and sparring ahead of the bout that, he believes, can make him the number one welterweight in world boxing.

But after defeat to middleweight maestro Golovkin, there were concerns about Brook's ability to shed the 13lbs he had to gain to fight the Kazakh.

However, Brook has credited his nutritionist, Greg Marriott, for helping to make the task somewhat easier than he had expected as he anticipates a close-fought encounter with his opponent.

'Special K' predicts knockdowns

"We could both maybe hit the canvas," Brook admitted, per BBC Sport.

The 31-year-old will, however, have the backing of a large home support to help him through the rounds in front of a large crowd at the outdoor arena.

And Brook is hoping that, despite the recent hot spell of weather across the UK, that a predicted downpour in Sheffield ahead of the fight does happen and that a storm comes along with it.

The welterweight champion is hoping the weather will cook up a storm just liked he anticipates in the ring, in order to make it an even more uncomfortable night for Spence who will come out to a crowd of, largely, Brook fans.

Brook calls for storm

"To be honest, I would love the weather to get bad," Brook admitted to Sky Sports.

"In fact, I hope there's a hail storm over him!

"I want it to be as uncomfortable as possible for Errol tonight before and after the first bell."

Brook has also called upon everyone inside Bramall Lane to help produce a brilliant atmosphere to go along with the hostilities that the unbeaten American is destined to face.

"Errol is a great fighter but I'm gonna hit him very hard and fight tonight, the fans are in for a real treat," the Sheffield fighter added.

"I'm calling on the fans to make some noise, your support will lift me tonight and this win will be for all of us."

Living the dream

'Special K' has never gone into a professional fight on the back of a defeat, and Saturday's showdown will not only allow Brook to prove he can bounce back but also realise a childhood dream.

“When I told him [Uncle Johnny] the fight was sealed for Bramall Lane, he just said, ‘I told ya!’" said Brook, per The Sun.

“He’s made a habit of getting it right — he always said I’d fight here, ever since I was young."