SYDNEY - Four-division world champion Roy Jones is bidding to create boxing history when he fights Australian title-holder Danny Green for the IBO cruiserweight belt here on Wednesday.

The 40-year-old American, regarded as one of the great pound-for-pound fighters of the modern era, will be fighting outside the United States for the first time in his celebrated 20-year fight career.

Jones, who is an eight-time world champion, will become the first man to hold world title belts in every division between middleweight and heavyweight if he can dethrone Green over 12 rounds.

Jones also holds the distinction of becoming the first former middleweight champion to win a heavyweight world title in over 100 years.

Green, 36, is a three-division world title belt holder, and will be making the first defence of the cruiserweight crown he won on a fifth round TKO against Argentina's Julio Cesar Dominguez in Biloxi, Mississippi last August.

Jones last fought on the same Biloxi card as Green in disposing of American Jeff Lacy in the 10th round.

His record stands at 54 wins (40 by knockout) with five losses in 59 bouts, while Green has won 27 (24 KOs) of his 30 fights since 2001.

"Cruiserweight (between light-heavyweight and heavyweight) is not a division I've really been interested in, but seeing as it is there, why not?" Jones told reporters this week.

"It's the only big weight division I haven't won a title in, and it is right there close by within reach.

"I'll do it, get it done and put it on the resume. Then I will move on to Hopkins."

Jones's next scheduled fight after Green is against another American superstar, Bernard Hopkins, 44, in Las Vegas next March.

"Danny's a strong guy, he's a very tough guy, he's going to put a lot of pressure on me," Jones said.

"He's going to try and wear me down because I'm 40 and he's 36, so he's going to think he can wear me down, but I'm ready for that."

"The foot and hand speed will be key to my victory. I can win it powerfully, I can win it boxing, I can win it either way, I'm just a better fighter."

Australian boxing pundits are urging Green to take the fight to Jones from the opening bell and make the ageing Jones go the distance.

"I feel relaxed, I feel fresh, this preparation has been very, very hard, but it's also been very smart," Green told reporters.

"In the past I've always trained too hard and obviously this is the biggest fight of anyone's career, it's the biggest guy out there, so I've got to make sure that I don't leave it in the gym."

Green said the fight was also attracting attention back in the United States as a loss for Jones would jeopardise his proposed rematch with Hopkins, whom he beat on points in 1993.