Floyd Mayweather insists he is the greatest fighter of all time, a superstar blessed with sweeter moves than Sugar Ray Robinson and a motor-mouth to match Muhammad Ali.

"I can quit today and I'll be known as the best fighter that ever lived," he claims.

"I respect what Robinson and Ali did for the sport. But I am the greatest, and this is my time."

Many former fighters who have made such claims have been roundly mocked for their outlandish pretensions and criticised for daring to compare themselves with some of the untouchable stars of boxing history.

It is a mark of the talent which has swept Mayweather to world titles in five weight divisions that, while many critics disagree with his bold statements, few are willing to stand up and make a song and dance about it.

By fearlessly moving up to beat Oscar De La Hoya at light-middleweight earlier this year, Mayweather certainly underlined his status as the best fighter of his generation.

It is that legacy he will look to protect against Ricky Hatton on December 8 - and true to form, Mayweather insists he will have little problem coping with a fighter he derides as rough and one-dimensional.

"I didn't get the chance to watch him against Kostya Tszyu," said Mayweather, referring to Hatton's breakthrough victory over the Australian former world champion in 2005.

"I already knew what it was - punch, hold, punch, hold. From what I've seen, it was extremely dirty - and that's what I'm saying, that Ricky Hatton is a very dirty fighter."

Mayweather's extraordinary self-belief is perhaps inevitable, given his start in the sport.

His uncle Roger, also his trainer since 2000, fought 72 times professionally and won the WBA super-feather and WBC light-welter titles.

His father Floyd Sr fought 36 times but never won a major professional title - while another uncle, Jeff Mayweather, won a fringe version of the world super-featherweight crown.

Mayweather won three Golden Gloves titles as an amateur and also claimed featherweight bronze in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He was nicknamed 'Pretty Boy' by team-mates for the way he avoided facial injuries.

Mayweather's elusive qualities have served him well in a professional career which began in October 1996 with a second-round stoppage of Roberto Apodaca and continued through 17 routine wins over the next two years.

In October 1998, Mayweather won his first world title when he destroyed tough veteran Genaro Hernandez for the WBC super-featherweight crown.

"He was a lot quicker than me," admitted Hernandez, who never fought again.

Mayweather saw off a series of other notable contenders, not least Diego Corrales who was punished for struggling to make the weight by being floored five times in the course of a 10th-round stoppage defeat.

In his next fight, his first as champion in his home city of Grand Rapids, Mayweather was served a rare dose of reality when he was knocked over - but he recovered to grind out a points win over Carlos Hernandez.

His brash proclamations of impending greatness were not helped by two questionable verdicts over Jose Luis Castillo as he moved up for a not particularly distinguished reign as WBC lightweight champion.

But Mayweather's true talents began to shine once he moved up to 140lbs, with a dazzling two-knockdown win over former champion DeMarcus Corley followed by a six-round annihilation of braveheart Arturo Gatti.

Mayweather was simply merciless against the come-forward Canadian - exhibiting the kind of sharp, slashing punches reminiscent of Pernell Whitaker and the two great 'Sugar Rays'.

Two more former champions in Zab Judah and Sharmba Mitchell were also dispatched with ease before Mayweather truly proved his mettle by moving up to win every round against tough WBC welterweight king Carlos Baldomir.

Moving up again to fight De La Hoya was a choice few other fighters would have taken. But then few other fighters share Mayweather's hunger for greatness.

"I chose it, because it was the biggest fight in boxing history," he said.

Now it is Hatton who stands in his way of further cementing his legacy. Mayweather must know deep down that he is in for the toughest fight of his career. But like those greats of previous generations, he will hide his caution well.