Anthony Crolla feared he would never box again after suffering a fractured skull seven months ago, but with the help of yoga he is looking forward to his first world title fight on July 18.
The Manchester boxer (29-4-2, 11 KOs) knows it will take the best performance of his career to win the WBA lightweight title from Darleys Perez (32-1, 20 KOs) at the Manchester Arena.
The odds might slightly favour 31-year-old Perez, but the odds were also stacked against Crolla ever fighting again following injuries he suffered in a street attack after he chased away burglars from a neighbour's house on December 16.
Crolla bravely interrupted the two burglars and gave chase, but as the pair scaled a wall he had a concrete slab dropped on his head and then his ankle.
The 28-year-old suffered a fractured skull and a broken ankle in two places, causing a scheduled fight against WBA lightweight champion Richar Abril on January 23 to be scrapped.
Crolla - nicknamed Million Dollar - made a swift recovery and after brain scans was cleared to fight again against Colombian Perez, who inherited the WBA title as interim champion after Cuban Abril was stripped of the full title for inactivity due to illness.
Along with super-bantamweight Scott Quigg, who defends his WBA title on the same bill against Spain's Kiko Martinez, Crolla has been working in a swimming pool and taking yoga classes as part of his preparations.
"I've been doing Bikram Yoga, which is yoga in hot conditions, and I've been doing it a few times a week alongside work in the pool as well as my regular strength and conditioning and gym work," Crolla told ESPN.
"It helps me definitely and a lot more boxers do yoga now. You are absolutely dripping in sweat and it loosens you up, helps with some of your boxing moves.
"It doesn't replace your roadwork, the work you do in the gym or the sparring, but it just helps bring the best out of you.
"[Former Manchester United player] Ryan Giggs puts his longevity down to the yoga. I don't think I'll go on as long as he did, but I feel I'm a young 28 and the yoga is helping me keep supple.
"I also work in the pool a couple times a week. It's an early start. Our trainer Joe Gallagher has got me and Scott at the poolside by 5.15am. Jumping in the pool at that time is not the best thing but it's been very beneficial. We do sprints, circuits, swimming and weights.
"It's something Joe feels is an important part of training and we are feeling the benefits of it. He's seen the success of it and we're both feeling the benefits of it.
"It's a bit crazy that me and Scott are going to be fighting for world titles on the same bill. We are good mates and training partners. We've trained alongside each other for all our big fights and have been in camp together for this one, the biggest fights of our career.
"We have pushed each other really hard and Scott is the hardest trainer I've ever trained alongside. He brings the best out of me because you don't want to be left behind."
Crolla insists there was no concerns after his head injuries when he started his sparring in training last month. "I've been sparring a few weeks now and everything is going well, I'm in a really happy place," he added.
"Session by session I feel I'm getting sharper and the ringcraft is coming back. I'm really happy with where I am and I'm feeling ready.
"In a strange way I was looking forward to being punched in the head because I can tick that box now and have no worries at all. I'm not worried about taking a shot with the smaller gloves. Obviously having a fractured skull is not good for a boxer or anyone, but the medicals have passed me fit and there are no worries at all.
"I've shocked people at how quick I've recovered but I'm a fit lad and live a clean life, which has played a big part in my recovery. My times and circuits I'm doing in the gym are all personal bests, but it's what I do in the ring on the night that counts. "