Undefeated light heavyweight contender Lyndon Arthur 19-0 (13) is expecting Anthony Yarde 21-2 (20) to come out fast and try to knock him out when the meet in a rematch at Copper Box Arena in London on December 4.
The bout will come one year after Arthur outpointed Yarde split decision.
“He didn’t want to come to Manchester and fight me. I believe they were too scared to come to Manchester,” the 30-year-old Arthur said.
“He is going to come out fast. There isn’t a chance on this earth he can outbox me. I know for a fact what he will try to do. The only thing he can do is try and knock me out.”
The winner of the fight will be installed as the mandatory contender to WBO light heavyweight champion Joe Smith Jr 27-3 (21).
Joe Smith Jr claimed the vacant WBO belt with a majority decision victory over Maxim Vlasov 45-4 (26) in his last fight in April.
Yarde, 30, hit back at claims he wasn’t prepared to travel to Manchester.
“You got no fan base. It didn’t matter where the fight was and [going to Manchester] didn’t get put to me,” Yarde said.
“I don’t care where I fight. I have been to Russia to fight so all that talk is not right. I just said make the rematch happen. I don’t bullshit I don’t do excuses.”
The first fight was scored 115-114 twice for Arthur and 117-111 for Yarde. It was the first time Yarde had been extended the 12-round distance.
“Judges said I lost,” Yarde. “The fight went the way it went and that’s it. If I land a shot and knock him down I won’t wait for him to recover. I will finish the job. I am going to knock him out.
“[Trainer] Pat [Barrett] came in the changing room and said, ‘We was lucky, it was a close fight. I know how you’re going to come for the next fight I am going to do everything to not make the rematch happen. I want my boy to make some money.’”
Promoter Frank Warren said: “Since the first fight Lyndon has gone into the number one position with the WBO and eventually you become the mandatory. That is at stake.
“It’s a crossroads for both of them and a fantastic fight where I think fans will see something a little bit special. It’s war and we are going to see a quality fight between two quality fighters.
“There was a contract with a rematch clause. I said to Pat I will try to get it on in Manchester but there was no date available and then we tried October in Birmingham and it didn’t happen. Now it’s on and it will be war. It’s even more meaningful than the first fight.”
