Donovan Smillie follows the old adage that the bigger they come, the harder they fall.

And Bradford's English middleweight champion is confident of sending challenger Steve Bendall crashing when they meet in Coventry on December 10.

Home-town favourite Bendall has only one loss on his eight-year record as a pro - and that was against British title-holder Scott Dann.

But Smillie is determined to spoil the party by doubling that figure on next month's dinner show at Mercia Park.

"When I box somebody really good then I always perform better," he said. "I like to rise to the occasion and it brings out the best in me.

"I'm the champion and I'd have liked to be fighting him nearer to Bradford but it hasn't bothered me before going away from home."

Smillie won the title a year ago in a bear-pit atmosphere in Shrewsbury by stopping local boy Roddy Doran - and he is predicting Bendall will go the same way.

"I've got the power - more power than him as well as the skills. He's got a good record but often when you go unbeaten for a long time and then lose one it can affect you. Through my career I've had to pick myself up and I've learned from that."

Smillie is coming off a points defeat at the Town & Country Club to Ryan Walls, another southpaw like Bendall.

That May verdict ended a run of 11 straight wins and the frustration still lingers.

He added: "It didn't mean a lot in terms of the title but it did because I'm annoyed at losing. But I wasn't boxing at my proper weight and I'd also had to put a lot of work in selling tickets. This time I won't have that kind of pressure outside the ring because I'm not the home fighter."

Smillie is chasing a crack at Dann's Lonsdale Belt and a successful defence in the midlands would establish his credentials. He is keen to accelerate a career that has been slowly moving upwards.

"Since joining up with John Ingle things have definitely looked up for me," he said.

"But I'm 30 now and need to be in the

bigger fights. I've been in the gym constantly and sometimes the motivation isn't there but I've got to keep at it. This has been a frustrating year for me because I've had a few fights called off.

"I was hoping to fight for the WBF in Germany but that didn't happen and there was talk of facing Lee Blundell as well.

"And I was due to fight Patrick Maxwell in Bradford but that fell through, although I'm not surprised with him.

"I was supposed to box him when I first turned pro but he pulled out and moved to welterweight and then started calling me out so this is nothing new."