Hannah Rankin says she'll relish playing the villain in World Title defence

Hannah Rankin insists she’ll relish the role of villain as she defends her world title belts against Terri Harper on September 24.

Rankin, 32, has just returned from a gruelling training camp in the US.

And the Luss fighter reckons sparring there with multiple world champion Claressa Shields will ensure that she’s in the best shape to retain her IBO and WBA super welterweight belts.

Hannah retained her titles in front of a vocal Scottish crowd at the Hydro in Glasgow earlier this year.

Now she faces a hostile crowd as she takes on Harper on her home soil in Nottingham.

But Hannah can’t wait to defy the partisan crowd. She said: “I’m so excited, it’s going to be brilliant to get out there and defend my titles.

“I’m very confident. My team and I have a great game plan.

“It has been an exciting one for us to prepare for.

“I will be retaining those titles, keeping them for Scotland and defending what’s mine.

“I will probably be looked at as the villain because I’m Scottish.

“When people want to doubt you then it always fuels me.

“I’ve worked hard to be where I am and it’s already sold out. It’s the kind of night that you live for as a fighter.

“ It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks of me, I’m proud to be Scotland’s first female world champion.

“When I get in there I’ll be representing home, keeping what belongs to me and bringing those belts home.”

Hannah is confident that she’s in perfect shape for the bout, having swapped Scotland’s rain for the sizzling Florida heat.

She continued: “We decided to get some hot weather training.

“It just happened to work out perfectly with Claressa Shields finishing her camp, so we got a few rounds in.

“It’s always great to join Claressa. It’s always good to have two world champions in a