After a terrible 2018, former middleweight champ Billy Joe Saunders (27-0, 13 KOs) insists he’ll be ready for Shefat Isufi (27-3-2, 20 KOs) on May 18 for the WBO interim super middleweight title.

Saunders has settled well with trainer Ben Davison after splitting with Dominic Ingle and has been living at a hotel on the outskirts of Manchester for seven weeks and training at Ricky Hatton’s gym.

“I am loving it at Hatton’s gym with Ben and I am just enjoying it again,” said Saunders. “I have to be happy at what I am doing and I will get the best out of myself. If it’s not like that it can become a slog.

“There is no secret that 2018 was a terrible year with terrible memories. Everything got to me a little bit. I just needed a complete change. It was the same when I was with Jimmy Tibbs. He was the best coach. I always use the term ‘coach’ and ‘trainer’ and he was the best purist coach I have been around.

“I just needed a change then because my head was going stale. Sometimes when your head goes stale you need that bit of change as a fighter and that is what I needed to get that spark.

“I have to stay ready. Because of my style – slick and fast, you don’t get to keep that forever so I want to show it while I’ve got it and beat whoever they put in front of me.”