Callum Smith says the “best version of himself” beats Artur Beterbiev as he bids to become a two-weight world champion on Saturday in Canada.

Liverpool’s Smith faces undefeated unified light-heavyweight champion Beterbiev, who has a 100% knockout rate in his career.

Smith, 33, is an underdog against Beterbiev on away soil and says the champion’s power is not on his mind.

“The best version of me beats anyone in the world,” Smith said.

“I fully stand by that. The time’s now. I’m ready to become a two-division world champion.”

Smith was previously a world champion at super-middleweight and the only defeat on his record is to multiple weight world champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.

Russian Beterbiev, 38, holds the IBF, WBC and WBO titles and has 19 stoppages on his record, including seven clean knockouts.

One of those stoppages came against Briton Anthony Yarde a year ago in an epic shootout in London which saw Beterbiev turn around a gruelling fight to produce an eighth-round stoppage.

At a news conference on Thursday, Smith’s trainer Buddy McGirt said they weren’t “stupid” and were prepared for Beterbiev’s power.

The news conference was held in English and French-Canadian in Quebec, although neither Smith or Beterbiev speak French-Canadian.

Beterbiev has made Quebec his home since leaving Russia and is also a Canadian citizen.