Deontay Wilder has promised to knock out Eric Molina this weekend. Molina has different ideas.

"I'm supposed to come in here and Wilder's supposed to run over me," Molina said on the eve of their WBC title bout in Birmingham, Alabama, on Saturday night.

"I can punch just like he can punch. This is going to be a very exciting heavyweight fight. I've never been stronger,” the Texan said. "I told him, that it's time to test that chin. I'm going to test that chin."

Another victory is expected to steer Wilder further towards big-money bouts. Britain’s Tyson Fury and Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko have already been mentioned as possible opponents for the undefeated American, who has won 32 of his 33 professional bouts inside the distance.

Wilder is determined to knock out Molina.

"I've shown people what I can do. I can do it all, but I'm known for my knockout," he said.

"I don't have the highest knockout rate for nothing, and I've got to get back to it," he added, referring to his points victory over Bermane Stiverne, who spent two nights in hospital after their bout in January.

The first American since Shannon Briggs in 2007 to claim one of the heavyweight “world” titles, Wilder can’t afford to lose now. The fight against Molina is the first “world” title fight in his home state, which also produced champions Joe Louis and Evander Holyfield.

"I love making history," Wilder, 29, said when the bout was announced.

Molina, 33, is coming off an eighth-round stoppage of Raphael Zumbano in Las Vegas in January; his third straight win inside the distance.

Talking about his KO defeat to Chris Arreola in 2012, he said: “Not too many fighters bounce back from that. It takes a special fighter to come back from that and I know I'm that special fighter.