Unbeaten super lightweight contender Emiliano Vargas will face Bryce Mills in a 10-round championship bout on Saturday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The fight serves as the chief support for the main event between Xander Zayas and Jaron Ennis.
Both fighters successfully made weight on Friday. Vargas weighed in at 138.6 pounds, while Mills registered 139 pounds.
They will compete for the WBC USA Silver, NABF Junior, and WBO Latino super lightweight titles.
Vargas Confident Ahead of Title Fight
Vargas, who holds a record of 17-0 with 14 knockouts, expressed certainty about his performance during the pre-fight ceremonies.
"I'm excited. This is going to show the world that I'm ready for my world title," he said.
"At the end of the day, Bryce Mills is in the way of my world title, and I got to stomp on him.
So, I'm grateful to all the beautiful fans here," Vargas added. The undefeated fighter dismissed any potential danger from his challenger, anticipating a dominant showcase.
"Come to me and get your ass kicked. I'm excited about it.
He's going to make all the mistakes for me, and I can't wait to shine. Let's go, baby," Vargas stated.
Mills Sees Opportunity on Big Stage
Mills, with a record of 22-1 and 9 knockouts, views this matchup as a life-altering milestone on a massive platform.
"It's a massive opportunity for me," he said.
The former kickboxer aims to prove his capability to a global audience despite entering as an underdog.
"This is the time to show what I already know and my team already knows.
Now it's just time to do it in front of the bright lights and show what I have to the world," Mills explained.
"I hope I prove the doubters wrong.
They may not think I deserve this opportunity, but I'm gonna prove 'em wrong and show 'em it's well deserved and I'm gonna be a future world champion," he added.
Mills acknowledged Vargas's talent but emphasized the competitive value of the fight. "He's a very talented fighter," Mills said.
"I wanted this fight because he won 'Prospect of the Year' and he is regarded as the hottest prospect out there, the guy to beat.
And if you can beat the guy, then what does that make you? You're in the best position you can possibly be in."
Mills also addressed financial issues from his previous event in Rochester on April 25, where local organizers failed to pay fighters.
"None of the fighters have been paid, as far as I know, to this point," he said.
"I know I'm gonna get my money one way or another.
I'm not really stressing over it at the point, but I do feel bad not only for myself, but the other people who were relying on that paycheck to pay some of their bills and to support their life," Mills added.
Legal proceedings may follow against the promoters due to the ongoing delays.
Reflecting on his career, Mills highlighted the challenges of starting without substantial backing.
"It is a tough way to make a living, especially how I came up, as an unsigned fighter, a fighter who didn't have a huge amateur career [16 fights]," he said.
Sponsorship assistance eventually helped cover costs after an early professional setback in October 2021. "I had to come up the hard way.
This sport was costing us money up until around my eighth fight.
That's when I was fortunate enough to have a lot of sponsors surrounding me, who were helping me build my career.
But this has been a very, very hard journey," Mills stated.
Despite being a heavy underdog, Mills believes the public will recognize his talent by the end of the night.
"People have every right in the world to think of me as the underdog," he said.
"They've never seen me before and I've never performed on a stage this big. So, how would people know?
But this is the opportunity to show people what I have. After this fight, they will know who I am."
