Contrary to rumors from his opponent’s camp, Robeisy Ramirez was eager to enlist when presented with the chance to face Orlando ‘Capu’ Gonzalez.

After all, it’s the type of fight that gets him even closer to his goal of soon competing for a major title at featherweight.

“By this time next year, I plan to be either a world champion or preparing for my first fight of that magnitude,” Ramirez told BoxingScene.com. “This is a big step towards that goal. It’s a big decision to make and one I trust in Top Rank to determine when I’m ready.

“But yes, once I beat Capu Gonzalez on October 9, I feel like I will be ready for the chance to fight for my first world title.”

The scheduled ten-round bout between featherweight southpaws takes place this Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It will appear on the preliminary undercard preceding an ESPN+/Fox Sports Pay-Per-View headlined by the lineal/WBC heavyweight championship between Fury (30-0-1, 21KOs) and Wilder (42-1-1, 41KOs). Both fighters step up in class, though more so Ramirez (7-1, 4KOs) who is barely two years into his career and boasting less than half of the pro experience as that of Puerto Rico’s Gonzalez (17-0, 10KOs).

The fight was one that Gonzalez and his team have apparently craved for several months. Ramirez is an attractive target for his featherweight peers, a two-time Olympic Gold medalist for his native Cuba who already suffered a loss in his pro debut. Gonzalez doesn’t have the medals but boasts his own amateur pedigree complete with a record of 160-18 before turning pro in 2016.

The sense in Gonzalez’s camp is that it’s time to take his career to the next level. A win over Ramirez will provide some much-needed profile for the unbeaten Puerto Rican southpaw. As much isn’t lost on the Cuban boxer, who knows he remains a target for other prospects and is perfectly fine with accepting any offered challenge.

“I knew that he was saying stuff about me and calling me out. I don’t make it a point to pay attention to that stuff,” insists Ramirez. “I just get in the ring and fight whoever my team tells me is next.

“My team told me that Orlando Gonzalez was next, so here we are.”

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