Murray thinks Sturm world title fight will go distance

Murray (l) is not expecting an early night against Sturm

St Helens middleweight Martin Murray believes he will have to out-box Felix Sturm over 12 rounds to take the German's WBA world title.

British and Commonwealth champion Murray, 29, faces Sturm, 32, in Mannheim, Germany on 2 December.

"He's been 12 rounds 14 times and he's been stopped once," Murray told BBC Radio Merseyside.

"It [a stoppage] is not really going to happen is it? We do think I can beat him on points."

Unbeaten Murray has been eager for a marquee fight for the last two years and he believes his relative lack of knock-out victories in the early part of his career may have prompted Sturm to pick him for this voluntary defence.

"I fought a lot of journeyman and a lot of people who just came to survive," added Murray.

"I didn't have the type of opponents who were coming in at the right weight and getting knocked out so my record doesn't do my punching power any justice.

"I thought somewhere along the line someone like Sturm would take a gamble on me, thinking that I can't punch and I'll make for an easy defence."

While Murray does not expect to make Sturm the 11th knock-out victim of his career, the man from St Helens is confident of returning from Germany with the WBA belt.

"He might be taking me lightly for my record and the more he does, the better for me," he added.

"We're going over there working on tactics for 12 hard rounds and we do think we can beat him on points."