Wayne Elcock has warned his nemesis Matthew Macklin he will have to be at the top of his game to become a world champion away from home.

Macklin faces WBA Super world title holder Felix Sturm in Germany tonight in a make-or-break fight for the 29-year-old, who has held both the British and European belts.

Elcock knows what ‘Mack the Knife’ has to offer after losing the British middleweight title to him two years ago, in the ‘Battle of Brum’ between the two Birmingham fighters at the Aston Arena.

‘Mad Dog’ can also offer an insight into the perils of going into a champion’s home country after his own world title shot, against then-IBF king Arthur Abraham in Switerzland, ended in five rounds in 2007.

Elcock, now 37, was up against it that night and feels Macklin, whose last fight was a below-par points win defending his European title against Ruben Varon last December, will face similar pitfalls.

He said: “Matt is going to have to outwork Sturm, especially going into his backyard. I won’t say he’s got to knock him out to win, but I would say that every round has got to be a certainty.

“I remember when I fought Abraham, I actually thought I done alright in patches there but, as far as I know, the referee hadn’t given me a share of any of the five rounds.

“I was throwing quite a lot of leather in that fight but you have to massively up your game because any close rounds that you would normally just nick, you are never going to get.

“I think it’s going to be a massive act for Matt, in his last fight he looked ordinary and, if that is the Matthew Macklin that turns up tonight, I can’t see anything but a Sturm win.”

Macklin’s world title shot ends a near-two chase for a chance on the world stage, starting right after he blew out Amin Asikainen in one-round to win the European crown for the first time in September 2009.

And Elcock believes tonight will be the night when Macklin has to prove he belongs in there with the best.

He said: “Matt has gone through the British and European stage, where else can you go after that? There’s nothing really for him to come back to, this is the next step.

“It’s the step he’s been asking for, so it’s time to stand up and be counted.”