WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder has heaped praise on Kubrat Pulev, who is set to challenge Anthony Joshua for the WBA (Super), WBO, IBF and IBO heavyweight titles later this year.

Tyson Fury’s former coach Ben Davidson believes ‘The Gypsy King’ will have to slightly adapt his style if he wants to win his rematch with Deontay Wilder later this month, insisting the lineal heavyweight champion has to smother the hard-hitting American.

“Because then I’m nullifying him from throwing punches.

“Two ways not to get hit are too far away or too close. ‘I watched David Haye vs (Jean-Marc) Mormeck. David done it to Mormeck.

“He’s a brave and strong fighter,” the ‘Bronze Bomber’ said of Pulev during an interview with ESPN.

“I haven’t seen too much of Pulev because he hasn’t been out there too much.

“The things that I have seen, he definitely put up great fights, Klitschko and stuff, I think he’s strong-willed, strong-minded.”