Andre Ward has "disdain" for his upcoming opponent Sergey Kovalev, he has revealed.
The pound-for-pound duo meet for the second time this weekend in Las Vegas in a rematch shrouded in animosity after Ward controversially won the first fight.
"It's bad blood based on the first fight, and things that were said," Ward said. "I know, for myself, it's more of a disdain this time around for him.
"I know he thinks he's going to bully his way through, as he thought in the first fight, and I'm just not having it."
"It's about silencing him and teaching him a lesson that the way he carries himself, the way he walks around treating people, is not okay."
Ward recovered from a second-round knockdown to capture Kovalev's WBA, WBO and IBF light-heavyweight titles via unanimous decision last November.
Kovalev, who had never previously lost, said about the rematch: "It's the most important fight in my career. Right now, it will be decided if my career is going up or down."
Andre Ward vs Sergey Kovalev II is live on Sky Sports 1 HD at 2am on Sunday morning.