Joshua Buatsi (L) returns to the ring against Zach Parker on Saturday. Queensberry/Leigh Dawney

Joshua Buatsi regards himself as the underdog despite being the heavy favourite ahead of his fight against Zach Parker in Manchester on Saturday.

Buatsi (19-1, 13 KOs) returns to the ring off the back of his first defeat as a professional in a thrilling bout against Callum Smith in February.

The clash remains a strong contender for fight of the year but was a tough one to take for Buatsi, who will look to bounce back against Parker in his first fight on home soil in over a year.

The Olympic bronze medallist said he is treading cautiously ahead of the must-win encounter.

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“I’m always the underdog, so if he thinks he’s one too, then great, but that’s always my mindset and that’s not even just from being a pro. I’ve always thought that from the amateurs,” Buatsi told ESPN.

“I achieved a lot quite quick. So, I was thinking ‘maybe this is all fake, maybe I’m not expected to be doing this.’

“I always had that underdog mindset and it hasn’t changed just because I came back [from the 2016 Olympics] with the medal and got the exposure that I needed to, it’s never changed.”

A first defeat is always tough to take for a fighter, but Buatsi said he was able to deal with it because of the belief that, on another day, he would have been the one with his hand raised.

“One thing I always said was I didn’t leave the ring thinking I can’t beat that guy,” Buatsi explains.

“I left thinking ‘damn, I know I can beat that guy. I could have beaten that guy.’

“If you lose and you’re like, ‘that’s just a better man than me,’ all right, cool, sweet. But when I left the ring, I didn’t ever think I could never be that guy. I never thought that, never ever thought that. Since the final bell to now.”

Meanwhile Parker (26-1, 18 KOs) will look to affirm his own title aspirations after three years plagued by inactivity and injury — namely a broken hand — following his only defeat to John Ryder in 2022.

A victory would be a huge statement from Parker against ESPN’s No. 7 ranked light heavyweight, Buatsi.

“You just got to believe in yourself really,” Parker told ESPN.

“I’ve had a few wins on the bounce, we’re here now, probably the No.1 [and] 2 behind Callum Smith is going at it and whoever wins, I feel like there’s a big, big fight on the cards next year.”