FIRED-up Irvine boxer Ryan "Electric" Collins is hopeful he has the spark it takes to capture a major title at the third time of asking.

And he revealed this week he had sought out some advice from legendary former Irvine world champion Paul Weir.

Collins (24) will take on Glasgow fighter Ahmed Ibrahim for the Celtic Lightweight title at the Lagoon Centre in Paisley on Saturday night.

He will be headlining the eagerly anticipated fight night.

This showdown comes in the wake of two tilts at the title against Commonwealth Games gold medallist Charlie Flynn ended in technical draws following a clash of heads at the Hydro.

He said: “I’ve been training hard for the fight for eight weeks and have changed my training base from Irvine to Johnstone.

“I fancied a wee change and I felt I had a big opportunity in this fight. It was a bit of a nightmare for me drawing with Charlie Flynn. But I realise now I probably took that fight too early but hindsight's a great thing. The training camp has been going really well and I'm working with Colin Bellshaw, who is a good trainer.

"I also recently met Paul Weir, who was back from Dubai while I was out on a run and I had a chat with him. He's the kind of guy I always look up to and he gives me advice when I see him."

Collins, who has secured sponsorship from Ardrossan-based businessman Darren Fisher, has had a successful training camp in the build-up to the fight, but has now stopped sparring to try and avoid injuries.

He expects a tough test against Ibrahim and added: "He has a record of six wins from nine contests and is a big, tall, awkward lad. I'm only focusing on this fight but if I win it there could be an opportunity to fight for a British title."

The Irvine boxer is hoping to make it a hat-trick of major titles.

He has won a British Masters and a Scottish title and has a still impressive record of 13 wins, two draws and two defeats from 17 contests as excitement builds ahead of Saturday night.

Home backing is vital to the Irvine boxer, who added: "I expect I will have a big support and fans are coming up in minibuses to see the fight. My aim is to bring the title home and I think I can do it."