By Jake Donovan

Anthony Dirrell was strong and brave enough to overcome non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, as well as survive and recover from a motorcycle crash just to get to where he is today – an unbeaten super middleweight with a belt around his waist.

For whatever reason, he’s struggling to get through fight week for his upcoming showdown with Badou Jack. Perhaps it’s his way of mentally preparing for his newfound role of entering a fight as a defending titlist, but there has been an odd edge to Dirrell from the moment he hit Chicago mid-week in advance of Friday’s Spike TV-televised main event at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois.

Things reached a boiling point during Thursday’s weigh-in, with the extracurricular activity initiated entirely by Dirrell and his entourage. Shortly after both fighters made weight, they were summoned for an obligatory staredown on stage. Dirrell wasted no time bringing the moment to an entirely new level, getting in Jack’s face and trying to walk him down, while his friends and supporters encouraged the antics.

The skirmish was immediately broken up, but there was still plenty of fire left in the defending champ.

“It’s on,” was all Dirrell (27-0-1, 22KOs) would mutter, a glazed look in his eye as he marched around the back and eventually through the exit of the conference room at the W Chicago hotel where the weigh-in was held.

The bout is his first in the ring since winning the super middleweight title from Sakio Bika in their rematch last August. The bout came eight months after their first meet, in which Dirrell was forced to settle for a draw in a fight most believe he won. He came correct in the second time, doing just enough to ensure the judges didn’t once again deny him the title he deserved.

“I thought I beat him easier the first time around, to be honest,” Dirrell believes. “It was frustrating, but we got the rematch. I was more technical in the second fight, I did what I had to do to win rounds and get the victory.”

Whereas Bika is a grind-‘em out fighter who is nearly impossible to look good against, Jack (18-1-1, 12KOs) is more of a stylist. Perhaps the pre-fight antics of Dirrell and his crew light a fire come fight night, although Jack is playing it cool on the surface. That said, a different tale could be told once the opening bell sounds.

“Badou Jack is a good fighter, but he hasn't fought a guy like me,” Dirrell insists. “On Friday night I just have to hope that Jack doesn't run. I want him to stand in there with me and we'll see who's better. I'm going to test his chin like nobody else has.”

Dirrell-Jack airs live on Spike TV (Friday, 9:00pm ET/8:00pm local/CT) along with a middleweight title fight between fellow cancer survivor Daniel Jacobs and cult favorite Caleb Truax. The show comes as part of Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions series.

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox