Australian heavyweight contender Lucas ‘Big Daddy’ Browne has backed Hughie Fury to defeat Andriy Rudenko on February 21 in Monte Carlo, but has warned the youngster not to take the Ukrainian dangerman lightly.

Browne defeated Rudenko over twelve rounds last August and is well aware of just how durable and dangerous Fury’s next opponent will be later this month.

“Rudenko is one of those hard-nut fighters who keep coming and makes you work,” said Browne, 22-0 (19 KOs).

“When we fought last year, I wasn’t fit enough, I weighed too much and I almost wanted to give up. Nothing was going right for me in my personal life and it came out in my boxing.

“Rudenko wasn’t better than I expected him to be, but he was much tougher. I hit hard and know I do, but he stood there and just took it all.

“I realised in about the fifth round that I wasn’t going to knock him out, so I had to think points. I needed to land good, hard hits to accumulate points and win the rounds.”

Browne gained victory over Rudenko via a close but unanimous decision. Fury, meanwhile, fifteen years Browne’s junior at 20, is looking to make it fifteen wins from fifteen against the Dnipropetrovsk-native.

“I haven’t seen too much of Hughie but am very eager to make a direct comparison on February 21,” said Browne. “I think we can expect a good, old-fashioned war and a points decision. I have a feeling Fury will get the nod so long as he’s fit and moves well on the night.

“If he wins, and keeps winning, I could end up fighting Hughie one day. We’ll see. It depends on how he goes on February 21. He has to chase me at the moment.”

*** Fury vs. Rudenko is part of the ‘Thunderbolt in Monaco’ show on February 21 (Channel 5). Headlining the event will be the WBA Super world middleweight title fight between the fearsome Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin and Britain’s Martin Murray ***