Nicola Adams is relishing the challenge of a longer fight, and is confident she can overcome an opponent who is 16 years younger than her. Double Olympic gold medallist Adams made her professional debut last month in a four-round fight which featured two-minute rounds, which have been the standard length for women's fights since 1998.
But the Briton will face 18-year-old Mexican Maryan Salazar (5-1, 0 KOs) over the longer three minute rounds at the First Direct Arena in Leeds on Saturday.
"You just need that extra minute, you're learning all these new things in the gym and you can't try them out in two minutes," said Adams. "I have two minutes to find my rhythm, distance and take out my opponent. It's not enough time. I found by the end of the rounds, I needed a couple more seconds and it would be over. Now we have three minutes, I'm able to relax more, establish the jab, find the rhythm properly and really get in the swing of things."
Adams trains in San Francisco alongside her partner Marlen Esparza -- also a flyweight who won her second professional fight in Las Vegas at the weekend. This weekend will be the first time Adams, 34, has fought in front of her home city fans since she was a youth.
"I can't wait to fight in front of all of the Leeds fans, the atmosphere in the Arena is going to be unreal and I'm sure it will replicate the noise at the Games," Adams said. "I haven't boxed in Leeds since I was a kid so this really is a homecoming fight."
Adams beat Argentinian Virginia Carcamo on points a month ago in Manchester after gold medal success in the flyweight competition at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. She will fight on the undercard of the Josh Warrington-Kiko Martinez featherweight bout.
