If you travel 39 hours to get somewhere, you want to make it worthwhile.

Such is the case for German boxer Yakup Saglam.

Saglam (38) has travelled all the way from Frankfurt to New Zealand to fight Joseph Parker in Palmerston North on Saturday night.

He arrived in Auckland late on Sunday and has been on the move since, travelling to his base at Palmerston North and then heading to Dunedin yesterday to promote the fight.

Saglam was born in Turkey but moved to Germany when he was 12, and has been there since.

Saglam has not been to New Zealand before and wants to make the most of it.

''If I was not confident then I would not have come,'' he said yesterday, through a translator.

''When I was selected for the fight I did not know much about Joseph Parker. But I have watched a few videos of him to get familiar with him. He looks like a good man and it will be a good fight.''

Saglam last fought at the end of March, when he scored a second-round knockout over German Marcel Zeller, known as the Highlander.

Saglam then had a week off before getting ready for this fight. He was a late call-up but said for him it did not matter.

''I'm always ready for a fight. You can never be quite sure when your next fight is. I've always been a fighter so when a fight gets offered I want to take it.''

Of his 37 fights, he has scored knock-outs in 31 of them so obviously has the ability to put people on the canvas.

There were accusations he was a dirty fighter but the tall German - he stands 1.93m - said he just treated each fight as it came.

''It just depends on the opponent. If the opponent is a dirty fighter than I can be a dirty fighter. But I'm not a dirty fighter.''

He had sparred with world champion Wladimir Klitschko, and said it was a great experience.

Saglam likes to be called the Scorpion, a term which comes from a tale to do with his village in Turkey when he was a young child.

A man in the village near the Black Sea picked up a scorpion and it stung him. However, the scorpion died and the man lived a full and long life.

From that event, the man was called the Scorpion and Saglam has been tagged with the nickname.

The boxer does not have a prediction for Saturday night's fight but he will be giving his all.

He will not be using the travel factor as an issue should he lose on Saturday night.

''Of course it is difficult. But I am here and I want to make the most of it. It's no excuse. I have come here to fight and to win.''