Fabio Wardley has said he believes Daniel Dubois can "capitulate" and "nose dive" in fights if things aren't going his way.
The two British heavyweights will go toe-to-toe in Manchester on Saturday, with Wardley's WBO title on the line [6 p.m. BST, DAZN].
Billed as "Don't Blink," the bout brings together two knockout artists with 40 stoppages between them. Wardley (20-0-1, 19 KOs) is also unbeaten in 21 fights with just one draw.
Dubois (22-3, 21 KOs) is coming off a Round 5 knockout defeat to Oleksandr Usyk last July in what was the third stoppage defeat of his career.
Several former fighters believed Dubois quit in his 2020 defeat to Joe Joyce. However, it was later revealed that Dubois suffered a broken eye socket, an injury that could have left him with long-term damage.
Asked if he was encouraged by Dubois not getting to his feet in his second defeat to Usyk, Wardley said: "Yes it encourages me but it's not something new either.
"We knew that before from the Joyce fight. Say it never happened in the Usyk fights, say it only happened once in the Joyce fight, I would still know it's in him to capitulate and back out.
"It's just more evidence on top of something I already saw there."
Wardley said his attitude is the opposite to his next opponent's.
The Ipswich fighter was down on the cards before beating Justis Huni with a right hand in June last year, winning by knockout in Round 10, while he also rallied late to stop Joseph Parker in October.
"That is the contrast. If it's not going his way, he nose dives. It's it not going my way, I stay focused, stay on track," Wardley said.
Regardless of how the fight unfolds, promoter Frank Warren doesn't expect it to go the distance.
"We got the best heavyweight fight I think of this year. It's a great fight, the ratio of these two fellas for knockouts, it's exciting. It will sell out," Warren said.
"I just think it's got fight written all over it. It's going to be bloody exciting."
