Former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker is looking to make a statement on Saturday night at the O2 Arena in London, where he faces top rated contender and hometown favorite Dillian Whyte.

Parker is returning from suffering the first loss of his career, when he lost a twelve round unanimous decision at the hands of WBO, WBA, IBF, IBO world champion Anthony Joshua back in March in Cardiff.

And he feels there is no bigger statement to make than to score a knockout victory over Whyte in quicker fashion than Joshua pulled off three years ago.

Back in December of 2015, Joshua and Whyte engaged in a furious war - which ended with Whyte getting knocked out in the seventh round.

Parker is mentally focused on knocking Whyte out before reaching the seventh round.

"That's my goal now," Parker told Sky Sports. "What's AJ, seven right? I'm going to knock him out earlier and I'm going to say, 'And what AJ? And what?' I think if I knock him out earlier, it will send a statement."

Parker is not planning to be reckless in getting that knockout.

He recently reviewed Whyte's loss to Joshua and believes the British boxer is now a much better fighter than what he was three years ago.

"I watched that [Joshua-Whyte] fight," Parker said. "They threw a lot more punches and landed a lot more on each other. A bit more reckless, whereas that one [his fight] was more scientific.

"I think he tried his best and I think he went for it, so no regrets. The training he's been doing looks like its improved his fitness a lot, so maybe he's found the right type of training that works for him. Maybe back then he didn't have the right type of training. There's a big difference in what he is now and what he was before."