TRAINER Tony Borg once vowed he would never attend a Las Vegas fight night until he was involved in one.

This weekend, Borg will get to experience that big show atmosphere for the first time when Lee Selby takes to the ring at the MGM Grand.

Argentina’s Jonathan Victor Barros challenges the Welshman for his IBF world featherweight belt tomorrow night (early Sunday morning in the UK).

“A couple of years ago I was going to fly out with a few friends for one of Ricky Hatton’s fights,” said Borg, the man who coaches Selby at St Joseph’s in Newport.

“I changed my mind at the last minute and set myself a goal that I wouldn’t go to Vegas for a fight until I was involved in one.

“I didn’t want to go and be looking down on the fighters like they were heroes, I wanted to go there and be in the mix myself.”

Borg and his charge have been in the US for the last fortnight, putting in their final preparations at gyms in California and then Vegas.

“It doesn’t get any bigger for a trainer than this, there’s nothing more you can do,” added Borg.

“I’m keeping it low key on the outside but deep down I’m fulfilling a lifetime’s ambition.

“I always said I could win a couple of British titles with the pros, and Lee has gone past that now with the Commonwealth, European and world title.

“Hopefully he can deliver a good performance at the MGM Grand – it doesn’t get any bigger – and then come back for an open-air stadium fight against Carl Frampton.

“It would be two British world champions unifying the titles in this country, a dream come true, and a massive payday for both of them.”

Frampton tops the bill in Vegas tomorrow when he defends his WBA super world featherweight crown in a rematch with Leo Santa Cruz.

For Selby, 29, his third title defence comes nearly 10 months after his last, when he got off the canvas to outpoint American Eric Hunter.

“Hunter was a bit of a wake-up call,” said Borg. “He went in a bit colder than usual and got caught with one shot.

“He went down but got straight back up and won the round. He defended his title and learnt from it.

“You don’t learn anything by knocking bums over in two or three rounds.

“Lee’s having 12-round fights against world-class opponents.

“Barros is dangerous, he’s been a world champion in the past, and has got a high knockout percentage.

“I’ve had a good look at him. He’s strong with a good right hand and comes to fight, but that’s what we’ll be going there to do as well.”

Barros has won 41 and drawn one of his 46 fights as a professional, with 22 of those victories coming inside the distance.

A former WBA world champion, the 32-year-old has won his last seven bouts, including a final eliminator defeat of Japan’s Satoshi Hosono in October.

Selby’s only loss in 24 outings came in May 2009 when he suffered a points reverse over four rounds against Samir Mouneimne.

Since that setback, the St Joes star has picked up Welsh, Celtic, Commonwealth, British, European and WBC International belts.

He beat Evgeny Gradovich to become the IBF champion in May 2015, before defending his strap by outpointing Fernando Montiel and then Hunter.