RICKY BURNS has spent a glittering career in the boxing game winning world title after world title, slowly working his way towards his dream of starring in Las Vegas.

Reaching Sin City is the aspiration for many a fighter whether Burns, Floyd Mayweather or even Mike Tyson. Others may shoot for the chance to step on to the canvas at Madison Square Garden or even Wembley.

While the Coatbridge veteran is still holding out to face Adrien Broner in Nevada, another Scottish fighter is preparing to take the next step in his own journey towards a world title fight in a colossal arena.

His name is Scott Allan. the arena is, err, Fir Park.

One of the old ladies of Scottish football may not be high on the list for many of the game's top-paid stars, but the North Lanarkshire stadium - which holds 13,742 seats - is the perfect stage for Allan to work towards.

Brought up his entire life as a Motherwell fan, the Shotts fighter was honest about his ambitions to one day sell-out the ground he has been frequenting for years, and pack it full of fight fans seeing another Scot make boxing history.

“Nah man keep it local," he told Herald Sport about his hopes for the future. "Motherwell, let’s do it. A world title fight at Fir Park, that’s the dream!

“I’ve been following Motherwell since I was born and that would be a dream come true. A world title there would be amazing but fighting anyone there would be special. I’d love to fill it.

“I’m miles away from filling those sort of numbers but that is what the dream is set, that’s where I want to be fighting."

Before Allan can contemplate about hoisting a belt above his head in front of the Davie Cooper Stand, the talented forward must first defend his bantamweight Scottish title against the unbeaten Kash Farooq.

It was unveiled in Glasgow yesterday that the pair will meet at the St Andrew's Sporting Club Burns fight night in January to headline a show that, one way or another, will be a defining night for both men.

Allan has only lost one of his eight professional fights - a points loss two and a half years ago to Michael Ramabeletsa - and is one of the most touted and talented fighters coming through on the boxing scene.

It's little wonder then that the Lanarkshire lad is brimming with confidence, an attribute that was brazenly on show as his upcoming opponent sat opposite him yesterday afternoon.

“We’ll see what happens after this fight," he said, sipping tea from a giant mug. "I want to chase it and go up. I don’t want to be one of these ones that take a wee warm-up fight here and then a wee rubbish fight there.

“I want to fight the best because if I want to be the best I need to beat the best.

“Right now Kash has been put in front of me and I need to beat him first. There’s talk of me fighting Iain Butcher but I can’t look beyond Kash. I need to do my work to get by him.

“Then, after that I’ll see what is available for me. If I title opportunity comes at super flyweight I’ll fight at super flyweight, if it’s super bantamweight I’ll do that, if it’s bantamweight I’ll fight then. I don’t mind.

“I’ll fight all weights, I’ll fight anybody. Just stick me in that ring and let me get on."

This will be the first time the pair have met but Farooq revealed it was a meeting that could have taken place earlier, only for a short notice period meaning the bout never came to fruition.

The 20-year-old from Glasgow has three wins and no losses to his name, albeit his last fight was back in May against Brett Fidoe.

He comes in with less experience at professional level than his cocky opponent but the quiet-spoken orthodox fighter was content to trash talk to a minimum for now.

“I’m excited about this fight but I’m going into it undefeated and I intend to come out of it the same way," said Farooq.

“As soon as Scott won the title, I knew we were going to meet sooner or later. I had a ‘phone call about it a few months back but I only had three or four weeks’ notice and I didn’t think that was enough.

“I do all my talking in the ring. He can say what he wants, when the final comes that is all that counts.

“It doesn’t matter if I’ve done four rounds. I’ve done six rounds before, it doesn’t matter.

“When it comes to the fight night, all will be revealed."

Unsurprisingly, it was Allan who had the last word, something his opponent will be hoping is not an omen for what is to come next month on January 19.

“I’m a promoter’s dream. I’ll fight anyone at the drop of a hat. I don’t need this six, 10, 12 weeks. I’m not going to say I’m not fighting if it’s in four weeks and saying ‘ah I’m not ready’. You’re as ready as you’ll ever be," he said.

“It doesn’t matter what you think or saying ‘I wasn’t fit enough for that fight’, you’re only coming up with excuses. You obviously don’t want it in your head.

“If Kash wanted it last time he’d have said ‘You know what I’m going to knuckle down this next four weeks and give it my best’. That’s the bottom line."

*Tickets for the event at the Radisson Blu in Glasgow are available from the St Andrew's Sporting Club at office@standrewssportingclub.com or by calling 0141 810 5700