George Staines vs. Denis Frimpong is official as the final of Oktagon Challenge: England vs Ireland, taking place this coming Saturday at Manchester's AO Arena.
The two's relationship with one another was recorded by the national television cameras of Channel 4's Oktagon show, and weeks of friction, banter and hostility will come to a head when they face off for overall glory in the tournament beneath crossover stars Jake Quickenden and Paul Smith facing off.
DAZN recently had the opportunity to ask both for their feelings about fighting one another, as well as their prediction for the fight.
And while it's par for the course for a fighter to confidently predict an emphatic win in every bout they have scheduled, it was particularly interesting to see Frimpong and Staines' body language and eye contact as they answered the big question right in front of the other in a hotel room in Bratislava.
Frimpong, representing Ireland, was asked first on the day of Oktagon's successful show in Slovakia earlier this month.
"Manchester’s my adopted home, I’ve been there and trained there for years," he said. "I’ll have all my team-mates there and a big crowd there.
"People are going to be very surprised. It’s not going to be a long fight. In other fights, I usually take some time getting into it, getting some reads and so on. But I’m very confident I’m going to score a first-round knockout.
"I know what his route to victory is and he knows mine, so it’s going to be a case of who can implement their strategy. But he has patterns, I know where his head is going to be and he’s going to run into something hard and get knocked unconscious."
The familiarity between the two throughout the exchanges was telling. There was a calm air of respect residing amidst the unavoidable tension, knowing what was coming in Manchester on perhaps the biggest stage will fight upon so far.
But despite hearing Frimpong's words first, Staines was not fazed.
"I think I can win either way," the Hull man said. "I can submit him, or I can finish him with ground and pound. But I’m prepared for all situations.
"Personally, I can see a win by submission in the later rounds. But like he said, he knows my path to victory and I know his. That’s fighting, though.
"I won’t get knocked out because I don’t rush in. I’m not a daft lad. I like to scope things out. But if he rushes in he’s going to get knocked out, it’s as simple as that."
After their respective interview slots, the two continued to show signs of great camaraderie and playfulness. But for just a short period of time on Saturday, what could be a strong friendship forged by Oktagon's television concept will be put aside for serious business.
Frimpong vs. Staines will open the main card at Oktagon 48.
Oktagon 48 airs live on DAZN on Saturday November 4. Click here for more information on how to sign up.