Meng Fanlong is prepared for a version of Jean Pascal that once ruled the light heavyweight division.

The task at hand for the unbeaten southpaw is to ensure that version of his opponent never surfaces when they meet this Friday at ProBox Events Center in Plant City, Florida (ProBoxTV.com, 7:30 p.m. ET).

“Jean Pascal is still dangerous, and we are going to treat him as the Jean Pascal of old,” Fanlong told krikya360.com. “That said, Jean Pascal was a great fighter during his day. It’s 2022. It’s my time now.”

Quebec’s Pascal (35-6-1, 20KOs; 1NC) once ruled the light heavyweight division, reestablishing championship lineage with a technical decision win over Chad Dawson in their August 2010 clash in Montreal. The win marked the high point of a career best known for taking on the toughest fighters of his era, though not always coming out on top.

Fanlong (17-0, 10KOs) has seen his career go in the opposite direction. The 34-year-old southpaw from Chifeng, China—who represented his country in the 2012 London Olympics—steadily rose to title contention through his first four years as a pro, earning a mandatory title shot following a 12-round points win over Adam Deines in their June 2019 IBF title eliminator between unbeaten contenders.

A purse bid to determine promotional rights for his due title shot versus Artur Beterbiev (17-0, 17KOs)—a Chechen fighter who relocated to Montreal upon turning pro —was won by Rejoy Group and Longjoy Sports, the team investing in his career and which would have placed the fight in China. A default on the purse bid terms put the fight back in the hands of Top Rank, Beterbiev’s promoter who sought to stage the fight in March 2020 in Quebec City.

The pandemic not only ruined those plans, but also disallowed Fanlong to travel to and from any location where the sought-after rescheduled fight could take place. Beterbiev went on to face and defeat Deines via tenth-round knockout last March, while Fanlong waited patiently—for the most part—for his number to be called.

Just one fight has followed since then, a ten-round decision over Israel Duffus last October 29 at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, Florida. The fight came on the non-televised undercard preceding the final Boxeo Telemundo telecast going live, essentially leaving Fanlong out of sight since the pandemic.

Needless to say, the opportunity to face a former champion in Pascal was accepted without hesitation. Pascal enters the fight at 39 years of age, having not fought since a December 2019 split decision win over Badou Jack and after testing positive for multiple banned substances ahead of their canceled rematch last June.

While Friday’s fight represents a chance at redemption for Pascal, it’s a shot at long-sought validation for a long time title contender in waiting. Whether it’s the winner of the June 18 three belt unification bout between lineal/WBC/IBF champ Beterbiev and WBO titlist Joe Smith Jr., or WBA light heavyweight titlist Dmitry Bivol (20-0, 11KOs) whose stock soared after a dominant showing over pound-for-pound king Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (57-2-2, 39KOs) earlier this month, Fanlong’s mission from here on out is to ensure that he is never again lost in the shuffle.

“I’ve always wanted to fight the top guys,” notes Fanlong. “All these fights happening at light heavyweight always gives me the itch to get back in the ring. This fight definitely puts me in position to pursue either of those two options.

“For now, all I can think about is beating Jean Pascal.”

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