Billy Joe Saunders has kept his tongue in check in the build up to his WBO World title challenge because he doesn’t want to embarrass himself suggests the champion he is trying to depose.

Current custodian of the middleweight strap Andy Lee noted Saunders hasn’t been as loud or as volatile ahead of the World title tilt as he has been to  previous fights and claims it could be because he doesn’t want to make claims he knows he can’t back up.

The Limerick fighter, who is trained by Adam Booth, claims the former British and European champion knows he is in a real fight in Manchester on Saturday.

“He has changed his approach, he has been very respectful to me in any media workouts or press conferences or interactions we have had together. Maybe that’s because he knows he’s in a real fight and there’s a very good chance he is going to lose,” Lee told Newstalk’s Off The Ball.

“He doesn’t want to set himself up for a fall when I beat him.”

Lee also suggested he will use Billy Joe Saunders work rate as an advantage.

“He always has to be doing something like letting his hands go. I’ve been working on using that against him in terms of countering him when he comes in and meeting him with punches.”

“With my height and reach, I won’t have to work for it because he will have to come to me.”