IAIN BUTCHER believes that secret sparring sessions with WBO lightweight champion Ricky Burns can help him claim the British and Commonwealth flyweight titles tonight at the Echo Arena in Liverpool.

The Jerviston boxer will challenge champion Kevin Satchell for both belts over 12 rounds and believes his training with Burns has laid the foundations for a famous win.

The 21-year-old said: "You can't get any better training than sparring with a world champion and I am lucky enough to have had almost 50 rounds with Ricky.

"The experience and the things I have learned from all of these rounds has been invaluable. I believe they can make the difference tonight against Satchell.

"But it was just fantastic of Ricky to offer to help me out. Given that he has his own world title fight with Ray Beltran coming up, it says an awful lot for him that he was prepared to give me ring time.

"Ricky also passed on a lot of tips outwith the boxing ring that will help with my preparation for boxing down the line.

"The best way I can repay him for all his help is to beat Satchell and become British and Commonwealth flyweight champion."

While Butcher has only had eight professional fights, winning all of them, the champion has no real advantage in experience given he has had just 10 outings.

Butcher is confident he has what it takes to claim double-title glory.

The title challenger said: "The plan is to set a tempo that Satchell can't live with and pile on the pressure and then break him up inside later on.

"He looked very drained at the weigh-in yesterday and if he has had a problem making the weight then I will expose it.

"This is my moment and I am determined to seize it."