Daniel Dubois insists he feels "like the underdog all the time" ahead of his highly anticipated bout with Joseph Parker next month in Saudi Arabia.
The pair co-headline Riyadh Season's The Last Crescendo, alongside Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol's undisputed light-heavyweight rematch.
Dubois will put his IBF heavyweight title on the line against Parker, who is bidding to become a two-time world champion after an impressive rebuild.
But despite entering the contest as champion on the back of a brutal fifth-round stoppage against Anthony Joshua, the former insists he does not feel the favourite.
"I feel like the underdog all the time," told DAZN's Face-Off. "I never lose that mentality of being the underdog. I like being a dark horse.
"I'm ready to bring the surprise and put him to sleep. All of those guys that you put in front of me, it's my time.
"I know he's going to come out and he's going to try and take my head off. You know what the fight game is.
"This is war, so I'm going to be a hundred percent ready for whatever they bring. [I will] put him to sleep, knock him out and move on. That's my mindset."
Parker marks the second foe Dubois has faced since he was elevated to the title vacated by Oleksandr Usyk last year.
The winner has been tipped to potentially face the Ukrainian in a unified bout, though the latter's future is unclear after a second win over Tyson Fury in December.
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