By Phil Barnett

Matthew Macklin's shot at world middleweight champion Sergio Martinez has been confirmed for St Patrick's Day at New York's Madison Square Garden.

The former European champion, born in Birmingham to Irish parents, has not boxed since suffering a highly controversial split decision defeat to WBA champion Felix Sturm in his first world title bid last summer.

Now he has the chance to go one better on March 17 when he fights Argentinian superstar Martinez, the recognised middleweight champion and a man widely regarded as the world's third-best pound-for-pound fighter behind Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

He will do so at the Mecca of boxing on a significant day in the city of New York, when another Irish favourite, fellow middleweight Andy Lee, also appears on the bill.

"The press conference was absolutely packed out, I couldn't believe it," Macklin told Press Association Sport. "It was huge. It brings it home how big this is. Felix Sturm is a big deal over in Germany but this was a different level.

"Coming face-to-face with Martinez, he comes across as a nice, humble, friendly kind of guy and you can't read too much into it.

"Actions speak louder than words anyway so you can't gauge whether he's nervous or not, or whether he's looking past me, just from that.

"I don't think he is underestimating me, though, from what he was saying [at the presser]. Over Christmas there was the talk of him fighting Julio Cesar Chavez Jr but now this fight is on with me, he's focused on it.

"Obviously he thinks he's going to win but I think he knows he is in a real fight."

Despite losing a disputed decision to Sturm in Cologne last year, Macklin, 29, came out of the fight with enormous credit, with most observers believing he had beaten the long-time champion.

Indeed, he was immediately saluted by Martinez's team - led by promoter Lou DiBella, who has since signed Macklin to a promotional deal.

That arrangement undoubtedly helped make the fight with 36-year-old stablemate Martinez (48-2-2, 27KOs) happen, especially after the South American southpaw saw a lucrative clash with Mexico's Chavez Jr fall by the wayside.

Macklin (28-3, 19KOs)and Lee could also be joined on the bill by Northern Irishman Carl Frampton, the exciting Barry McGuigan-backed prospect currently cutting a swathe through the super-bantamweights in Europe.

Phil Barnett covers boxing for Press Association Sport.