Jalil Hackett hopes to progress towards a potential world-title fight in 2025 when he fights Jose Roman Vazquez on the undercard of Liam Paro-Richardson Hitchins at Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Saturday evening.
The welterweight, 21, outpointed Peter Dobson over 10 rounds in July, but on Saturday he fights a Puerto Rican on away territory.
He has also revealed that the WBO champion Brian Norman Jnr is among those in his sights.
“World-title contention is the aim for the next 12 months,” Hackett said. “A lot of guys talk it, but I believe in it. I have to keep moving up in the rankings in the next few fights
“Brian Norman said my name, he’s a world champion and that’s my goal. He said I’m on his hit-list – well, guess what, he’s on my hit-list too. I believe I can beat him now, but we have work to do this Saturday first
“I feel like I’m made for this. I don’t need to wait until I’ve had 20 or 30 fights to see if I’m good enough. It’s all about the challenge, I set myself high personal goals – the main goal is to become world champion as quick as possible.
“I’ve studied Vazquez. Based on what I’ve seen, he’ll come out swinging which suits me. It’ll be an action-packed night on Saturday, it can go early. I need to make a statement in every fight.”
Paro and Hitchins contest Paro’s IBF junior-welterweight title. Vazquez, 31, defeated Luis Valentin Portalatin in February, in his most recent fight.