It goes without saying that Vincent Astrolabio is coming off a career-best year.

Of course, there’s always room for improvement.

The red-hot bantamweight contender aims to win his first major title as a pro this weekend. The vacant WBO bantamweight title is at stake when he collides with Australia’s Jason Moloney this Saturday on ESPN from Stockton Arena in Stockton, California.

Astrolabio (18-3, 13KOs) punched his way to contention with wins over former lineal junior featherweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux and Russia’s Nikolai Potapov in a breakthrough 2022 campaign. Now comes arguably the toughest test of his resurgent career, though the 26-year-old Filipino is game.

“I am so determined to take home this belt to the Philippines,” Astrolabio stated during the final pre-fight press conference. “I’m doing this for myself, for my family and for my country.”

All four major bantamweight belts were up for grabs since pound-for-pound entrant Naoya Inoue (24-0, 21KOs) abdicated the undisputed championship in January. Astrolabio’s sixth-round knockout of Potapov put him in line to challenge for the IBF belt but instead chose the WBO route versus Moloney (25-2, 19KOs), who enters his third career title fight riding a four fight win streak.

Astrolabio has won his past six starts and attributes the resurrection to his new surroundings. A native of General Santos City, Philippines, Astrolabio joined most of the rest of Sean ‘Viva’ Gibbons’ stable in Las Vegas, which he believes has breathed new life into his previously disregarded career.

“I am thankful to Sean Gibbons, and to (strength and conditioning coach Angel) ‘Memo’ Heredia,” noted Astrolabio. “I am one hundred percent prepared for this fight. I am so ready for this moment.”

Moloney-Astrolabio serves as the chief support to the Janibek Alimkhanuly-Steven Butler WBO middleweight title fight.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for krikya360.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox