Hamed is now 28 but he says the extra years will make him better than ever.

He said: "You are going to see a guy who is 28 but boxes like he is 21 again.

"You're going to see a very sharp, very accurate, very controlled guy with a lot of flair and a lot of confidence. I'm going to rise to the occasion and show 100%."

His return follows the first defeat of his career to Marco Antonio Barrera.

Hamed said: "Barrera deserved that fight - he dominated it, he forced it, he made it happen, he was in charge that night. Credit was due to him - but now things will change.

"Getting beaten is sometimes a good thing. If you're a positive person you can turn it around and make it into a good thing.

"I remember when Muhammad Ali got beaten the first time. I remember when Lennox Lewis got beaten the first time, Sugar Ray Leonard, Mike Tyson.

"All of those were legendary fighters and they came back and that's what made them different - what they did after they got beat."

Hamed did not take advantage of a six-month rematch clause in his Barrera contract, instead taking his recovery at his own pace until an old back injury flared up and temporarily derailed his comeback plans.

Now he and his team are already planning ahead for a short-term future which could involve a summer meeting against Manchester's Michael Brodie or Johnny Tapia before the return meeting with Barrera.

Barrera meets his old Mexican rival Erik Morales next month but Hamed wants his conqueror whatever the result.

Hamed said: "It doesn't matter if Barrera wins or loses against Morales. I still want to beat him first and God willing I'll get my chance. With money in the featherweight division, they can't do much without me."