BBC SPORT | Boxing | Maccarinelli primed for Haye bout

The pair fight for the unified world cruiserweight title in London in the early hours of Sunday morning.

"Haye's the one who has under-estimated me and he'll find out on Saturday night that he's not as good as I am," insisted Maccarinelli.

"I'm fit and excited and ready. I've never been more motivated for a fight," added the WBO title-holder.

On Tuesday, Haye, who holds the WBC and WBA belts, said he expected Maccarinelli would be an easier fight than Jean Marc Mormeck - his last opponent, who he beat in seven rounds.

"They watched that fight, saw me knocked down, heard me complaining and thought 'let's get him'," said Haye.

"I've trained for a tougher fight than Mormeck, but I don't expect it.

"If he doesn't realise how good I am, he's got a decent team around him so they must know. I just feel I am a better athlete than him."

Haye, 27, also reiterated his intention to move up to heavyweight after Saturday's fight.

The Londoner has made no secret of the problems he has had making the cruiserweight limit and Haye was unimpressed with heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko's recent victory over Sultan Ibragimov.

"Watching it, I was ashamed to be a boxer," said the 27-year-old Haye. "It was one of the worst shows of a boxing match I've ever seen in my life.

"If that's the best I've got to worry about then I might be heavyweight champion quicker than I think.

"Showtime are screening my fight with Maccarinelli in the States, so the Americans will be able to see the future of heavyweight boxing over the next few years."