Andy Lee believes the fact he will defend his WBO middleweight title in Manchester and not Limerick will increase Billy Joe Saunders chances of winning.

Lee is still confident he will have too much for Saunders and will retain his strap, but claims the move from Thomond Park to the Manchester Arena has made the bout a tighter affair.

Speaking about the switch at a press conference in Manchester today Lee said,

“It’s a 50/50 fight. Now that it’s in Manchester it’s even closer than it was before. The thing that makes the fight special is that there’s a lot of pride on the line.

“There’s always pride on the line when you’re fighting, I guess, but this one especially with our backgrounds. I’m going to leave it in the ring. I know he is and he knows I am. Pulling out in Limerick, I have to be at 100% because I know how hard this fight will be.”

Challenger Saunders on the other hand says he is not looking for any advantages and stated the fight will be won in the ring and not by how many supporters each has outside of it.

“I’m not looking for no advantages or no help in that ring when I’m in there. But to win it in front of my fans, you know, it’d be a dream come true. I’m classing Manchester as my own. This is England.”