Tony Bellew believes his greater desire to win will give him an edge when he takes on BJ Flores on Saturday night.

‘The Bomber’ makes his first defence of the WBC cruiserweight title he won at Goodison Park in May when he faces the American at the Liverpool Echo Arena.

Flores is expected to offer him an extremely tough test but after finally becoming a world champion earlier this year, the 33-year-old home favourite will be desperate to keep his belt.

Rather than the usual trash talking, both men have been fairly complimentary in the build-up to the fight and have praised each other’s talents.

Bellew is the 1.08 favourite to defend his crown, with Flores 8.00, and feels his ability to never give up will be a significant aspect of the bout.

Bellew admits he is expecting a tough outing but is in no doubt he will be able to retain his belt.

“They say it’s harder to keep a title than it is to win it and this will definitely be a test,” Bellew told Sky Sports News HQ.

“He [Flores] has only lost to credible opponents and world-class guys and we will find out how good I am on Saturday night.

“Does he want it as much as me? Will he go as far as I will? I’ve showed it time and time again; I’ve got up off the floor from face-first knockdowns and I just get up and fight.”

He added: “There’s something inside me that never knows when enough’s enough and that scares me. I never know when I’ve had enough and when it’s time to stop.”