David Haye's diary: He's scary but winning is my destiny

The weigh-in for my world heavyweight title challenge was taking place here in Nuremberg this afternoon and, if the forecasts were correct, my opponent Nikolai Valuev was likely to be as much as seven stone heavier than me.

But I was never going to be bothered by the scales. Instead, the weigh-in offered me the first chance to see my opponent stripped bare of his clothing to expose his soul. And this was the moment I was finally going to switch on and focus on destroying the man in front of me.

You stand with your opponent and stare deep into his eyes, exploiting every sign of insecurity or doubt. Psychologically, I've beaten many of my past opponents at the weigh-in, a whole 24 hours before we stepped into the ring and traded punches.

I'm sure Valuev is in a position to say the same about some of his former opponents. I'm certain he's defeated many of them hours before he climbed over the top rope.

Valuev, who holds the WBA heavyweight championship, can be an intimidating and frightening proposition. I've stood next to him and can vouch for the fact he's the most enormous and overwhelming figure I've seen. That alone is enough to shrink the ambition and plans of any fighter.

But while Valuev may tower over me at pre-fight press conferences and in the pictures in various newspapers, when it comes to tomorrow night -when it comes to the boxing ring - size means nothing.

To my mind's eye, Valuev starts off no taller than me and he will become shorter in ambition and confidence as the rounds tick by, and I continuously land bombs on his gigantic head.

Valuev is a massive human being and that's the reason he's become a decent boxer. But I'm a great boxer because this was something I've always been destined to do. I've known nothing else in my life.

Boxing is the only job I've ever had and it's something I've wanted to do since I was three and used to punch my father's friends' knees as a party trick.

So tomorrow night is destiny for me. It's the realisation of a dream that I've had for nearly 30 years and the reward for winning three world titles as a cruiserweight.

My opponent is a man who has been carefully guided and nurtured to this point. He's improved immensely over the last few years but he remains a guy who was brought into boxing simply as a way of capitalising financially from his size.

I truly believe that he doesn't want it like me and he doesn't crave for success like I do. He doesn't spend every waking moment thinking of knocking out a champion and lifting a world title.

I've suffered setbacks in my career and have simply rebounded from them. If I never wanted it this badly, I would have had plenty of exit doors to walk through after losing to Carl Thompson in 2004.

That was the lowest point of my boxing career and my life. It was also the turning point.

Since that loss, I've won every single fight I've had and all but one ended by knockout. I know the feeling of defeat and I don't ever want to experience that again. That's all the motivation I need to succeed.

Tomorrow night, at the Nuremberg Arena, I will once again stare defeat in the face. But I'm ready for it and I'm ready to beat it.

I've spent weeks analysing Valuev and pinpointing weaknesses in The Beast from the East.

I've prepared better than ever before. I know exactly what I have to do to knock out Valuev and bring the world heavyweight title back to Britain.

When you're dealing with a combination of hard work, the fear of defeat and fate, you're holding all the aces.

And when you chuck a 'Hayemaker' or two into the equation, there's only ever going to be one outcome.

Valuev will realise tomorrow night that you can't fake this.