Brian Minto returns to the ring Saturday when he faces Luan Krasniqi in Stuttgart, Germany, for the vacant WBOIntercontinental heavyweight title.

The fight is scheduled for 12 rounds and is not being televised locally.

The Butler heavyweight (27-1, 16 KOs) is coming off a sixth-round knockout of Axel Schulz in front of 12,000 fans and an estimated 12 million TV viewers in Germany three months ago.

Krasniqi is 29-2-1 with 14 knockouts and is ranked fifth in the world by the WBO. Minto is ranked No. 15.

Since he's ranked among the top 15, Minto is eligible for a title shot and said he might get one if he wins Saturday.

Krasniqi, 35, fought Lamon Brewster for the WBOheavyweight title in September 2005, but was knocked down in the eighth round and went on to lose by TKO in the ninth.

Krasniqi has fought only once since that loss, scoring a 10-round unanimous decision over David Bostice (35-10-1) in April 2006.

In an interview with FightNews.com, the 32-year-old Minto described Krasniqi as "one-dimensional, stand up ... throws his punches well and has some punching power. He doesn't like to fight on the inside much and doesn't like pressure."

Krasniqi's hometown is only 60 miles from Stuttgart. Minto figures to face a hostile crowd, similar to the one he faced when he defeated Schulz.

Minto admitted the German media is billing him as the Schulz Conqueror.

If Minto wins the fight, the contract gives Krasniqi a rematch.

"If he wins, no way,"Minto said of a potential rematch. "It (the contract) favors him all the way."

As far as winning a decision over Krasniqi goes, Minto balks at such prospects.

"You know it, I know it, everybody knows it. I have to knock him out,"he said.

Because of a huge demand for tickets for this fight, the capacity of the Hanns Martin Schleyer Halle has been increased from 5,000 to 7,000 seats.

During a pre-fight news conference, Krasniqi said:"It will be a full house, a usual thing for Stuttgart, although I'm quite surprised that so many people are interested in this fight. Minto is not a nobody. He was only beaten by Tony Tubbs."

Minto's only defeat as a professional was a 10-round split decision against former world champion Tubbs in December 2004. He has won nine fights since.

Krasniqi's last 17 fights have been in Germany. He's fought in the United States only once, claiming a fourth-round TKOof Kevin Hudson in October 1997.