WBA bantamweight champion Jamie McDonnell has revealed that he "lacked motivation" for his previous two fights against Tabtimdaeng Na Rachawat and Javier Chacon.
McDonnell, who had been stripped of the IBF belt, overcame Na Rachawat at Wembley Stadium before defending his title against Chacon in Liverpool in November.
The Doncaster fighter insists that he struggled to get up for either contest, but ahead of a unification showdown with Tomoki Kameda, he has admitted that complacency won't be an issue as he prepares to make his debut in the United States.
The 28-year-old told Sky Sports News: "I lacked a bit of motivation in my last couple of fights, especially after I lost the IBF title and had to drop back down to eight or 10 rounds.
"I was meant to win the WBA against Tabtimdaeng Na Rachawat at Wembley, whilst the defence against Javier Chacon was the same as he wasn't anything special, so I never really got going.
"This time against Kameda though, there's no worries about my motivation. He's undefeated and meant to be the next superstar in Japan, so it is a great boost for my training to be fighting him. This fight is going to make a huge difference to my life, as it's going to generate a lot of money for me and my family."
McDonnell's fight against Kameda could take place in New York or Las Vegas during April.
Darren Plant
