Janibek Alimkhanuly claimed that potential rival Chris Eubank Jr. may be ‘running’ from a world title fight with him.
Alimkhanuly is the WBO middleweight champion, and he fights Vicenzo Gualtieri on Saturday night in Texas.
Gualtieri brings with him the IBF strap at 160lbs, and the winner of the bout will likely look to further unify the division.
However, Eubank Jr. is the No. 1 challenger for the WBO strap and that could put him in contention for a world title fight, assuming he does not move onto the long-awaited match-up against Conor Benn.
The Kazakh, however, is unimpressed.
"I don't see Eubank Jr as a good fighter," Alimkhanuly told Sky Sports.
"If he's running from me, it means he's in a lower position than Gualtieri, because he's a champion and he came to fight with me.
"So, I have more respect for my opponent.
"But if fighters are running from me, it means they are in a lower position."
Long-term, Alimkhanuly hopes to move up to super middleweight to meet either Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez or David Benavidez.
"The question has to go to all of the opponents who turned me down and who do not want to come to the ring," he said.
"I am just a fighter. I want to make history for [his nickname] 'Qazaq Style'.
"I just wanted to become one of the best at what they do.
"I don't have any pressure.
"I feel strong. I feel that I have everything that it takes to do here.
"And my goal is to take all four titles in the middleweight division to be undisputed and then I wanted to go into one weight class up and do some damages there as well.
"I would like to go into different weight classes, maybe even up to four different weight classes. It's important for me to fight good names like Canelo [Alvarez], [David] Benavidez, the guys in the bigger weight classes."