Chris Eubank Jr claims Liam Williams should be “pushed out of the sport” and is in for a “rude awakening” this weekend.

Tensions between the pair have been running high ahead of their middleweight showdown in Williams’ home city of Cardiff on Saturday.

“I’m a stand-up guy,” Eubank told Sky Sports News. “I’m a standard-bearer for the sport.

“I’d like to think I’m somebody that kids can look up to and say, ‘Yes, that’s who I want to be like’, and their parents wanting them to be like me too. That’s the image that hopefully I try to bring to the sport.

“Someone like Liam Williams is bad, he’s a bad representation of what fighters can be. The way he talks, the things he says, the way he holds himself.

“People like him need to be pushed out of the sport in my opinion and that’s what we’re going do on a Saturday night. He’s in for a serious and rude awakening.”

Eubank, who is hoping to move on to a world title shot in the future, is not fazed by the prospect of a hostile reception at the Motorpoint Arena and is confident of making quick work of Williams.

Speaking after a public workout, the 32-year-old said: “We’re in his back garden but we’re ready, feeling strong, feeling fit. I’m very motivated for this fight.

“I have all areas covered. Anywhere the fight goes, he’ll be out of his depth. Whether it’s a fight, a boxing match, chess, punch-up – whatever, I’m going to be there and I’m going to be on him all night until he quits.

“I don’t see this fight grounds 12 rounds. My objective is to go out there and punish him until he gets knocked out or until he quits.”

Not surprisingly, Williams does not agree with Eubank’s prediction.

“Well I go the opposite, I think I’ll stop him, 100 per cent,” said the Welshman. “It’s the first time you’ll ever see him get done big time.”

Williams, 29, thinks there is too much animosity between the pair for the fight not to be an explosive one.

He said: “I think emotions will start to get high on Saturday. Whether it happens first, second, third round, I don’t know but at some point it’s going to explode and it’s going to break out into a fight.

“There’s too much needle, we’ve both got too much pride. I’m not going to let him run away, picking at me with a couple of jabs and nicking rounds, and I know full well he’s not going to do the same back.”