Ricky Hatton is aiming to put the record straight against Paulie Malignaggi on Saturday night after admitting he looked like he was "past it" in his last fight.

The 30-year-old Mancunian will climb into the ring at the MGM Grand Garden Arena looking to prove he is still the world's top junior-welterweight following an unimpressive points victory over Juan Lazcano at the City of Manchester Stadium in May. Hatton had been looking to bounce back from the first professional defeat of his career last December when he was stopped in the 10th round by Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Though his performance against Lazcano was hampered by a chest infection, it failed to raise morale and Hatton parted company with Billy Graham, his long-time trainer, and sought a fresh start with Mayweather's estranged father, Floyd Sr.

The change has worked according to Hatton, who says any talk of him hanging up his gloves is premature. "Everybody says to me 'you're thinking about retirement' but I'm not, I love having a fight," he said. "I don't want to retire but you've got to be honest with yourself. I lost to Mayweather, there's no shame in that, but in the Lazcano fight I looked like I was past it.

"There were reasons: I was ill, I had a terrible chest infection, my sparring partners went home early and I didn't do half the work, so I was delighted to get through that fight with the performance I put up. If I was 100 per cent and I'd put up a performance like that I'd have said it was nothing short of crap.

"I'm excited about what kind of performance I think I can bring on Saturday. I can tell everyone about how good my training camp was but you only get judged in the ring. I've got to do it Saturday night and I think it is coming."

David Haye, Britain's new heavyweight hope, warns that a defeat would spell the end of Hatton's career. "If he can't beat a Paulie Malignaggi then I'd say what's the point [of carrying on]," he said. "But if he does beat him he could be looking at another mega fight with the winner of Oscar de la Hoya and Manny Pacquiao. That's about as big as you're going to get in boxing."

Haye has been impressed with Hatton's preparation under the guidance of Mayweather. "The stuff I've seen from him in the build-up looks really good," he said. "He's actually getting Hatton's head moving, which is something that's stopped happening in recent fights, and he's looking back to his best."