Jeff Horn-Terence Crawford bout: Aussie ready to 'fight his heart out'

The hardest part of fight preparation comes in the final days before the bout.

Boxers should have no problem physically; every training session has been meticulously planned for months.

It's the mental side of things that can go haywire - especially in Las Vegas.

That's the challenge facing Jeff Horn this week, who is fulfilling a career ambition by defending his welterweight world title against American Terence Crawford in the boxing capital of the world.

Horn became a household name in Australia with a brutally courageous win over legend Manny Pacquiao in the Battle of Brisbane.

That was on the comfort of home soil.

The lead-up to this weekend's bout has presented Horn with difficulties he's never faced before.

The usual temptations of Las Vegas – gambling, drinking and partying – are easy enough for Horn to stay away from.

It's the promotion of the fight and the circus that follows it where things can go wrong.

Fight promoters Top Rank are on record saying they want Crawford to win.

They initially assigned Horn a gym with no air-conditioning.

In a desert city that reaches 40 degrees almost every day in summer, it made proper training impossible.

Team Horn found its own gym, A/C included, but is forced to travel 30 minutes out of town for every session.

One of Horn's training sessions this week was at the hotel he's staying in, the MGM Grand.

Unfortunately it was in the middle of the casino floor, onlookers gawking as they ate lunch or threw away their savings in the poker machines.

Then there are the relentless media commitments. Literally dozens a day.

Local and foreign reporters. Horn greets each interviewer with a smile and upbeat attitude, knowing every story pumps up the fight hype.

But the never-ending list of questions must be draining.

There's the meet and greets with fans.

Some are your average punters just wanting a photo with the world champ.

Others are high-profile guests looking to share the spotlight like Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, or the all-male, all-muscle Aussie dance group Thunder from Down Under.

As fight night draws nearer there's events alongside the enemy.

An on-stage interview, the weigh-in, trash talking, stare-offs. Each boxer trying to find the other's psychological weak spot.

One negative thought during the week can de-rail the fight plan.

Switching off for one second in the ring can lead to a knockout.

Jeff Horn is unwaveringly positive and embraces the Vegas madness when he can.

"It's a dream come true, seeing my face up there for this massive fight, headlining at the MGM Grand," the 30-year-old said.

But he knows when to knuckle down.

His family helps keep him grounded and humble.

Wife Jo and six-month-old daughter Isabelle have flown from Brisbane to be ringside on Saturday night (Sunday AEST).

As has his dad Jeff Sr and mum Liza, who have raised a son that is skilled and tough, and so far has handled everything that been thrown at him, inside and outside the boxing ring.

"I only worry about things under my control," Horn said.

"That's just myself and what I can do. I've just got to fight my heart out. That's all I can do. "