Daniel Jacobs (R) vs. Caleb Truax. Photo by Jonathan Daniel-Getty Images.

They say styles make fights and the upcoming middleweight bout between Daniel Jacobs and Sergio Mora, the co-featured bout of the PBC on ESPN card from Barclays Center in New York, is a battle of contrasting styles courtesy of two individuals who are on opposite sides of the career spectrum.

Mora is the crafty veteran who is looking for a second life after nearly fading into boxing obscurity. Jacobs is the rising talent that desperately needs to impress against an opponent who has a significantly more pronounced resume with names such as Shane Mosley, Ishe Smith, Vernon Forrest and Bryan Vera sprawled across it.

Coming off a 12^th-round knockout against Caleb Truax in April, the 29-1 (26 knockouts) Jacobs is looking to make Mora knockout victim number 27 and prove that his name should be spoken with the top middleweights in boxing. But facing a technically sound boxer who has never been stopped in Mora (28-3-2, 9 KOs) will be a challenge for “The Golden Child” to extend his current knockout streak to 10. Either way, Jacobs is ready for the challenge and is looking to rise to the occasion.

“Even though he’s the underdog I’m looking at him as the most devastating opponent I have faced thus far,” said Jacobs. The 28-year-old has heard the critics calling for him to step up in competition and although this might not be the big name they were anticipating, it’s fair to say that he’s correct in calling Mora his biggest challenge.

It’s one thing to win by any means necessary, but Jacobs knows that the knockout is exactly what will help catapult him to the upper echelon of the 160-pound division, where names such as Golovkin, Quillin, Cotto and Lee dwell.

“The test with Mora is he’s never been stopped before but it would be the icing on the cake if I did that,” Jacobs said to RingTV. “He’s a slick and crafty veteran, though, and I expect him to make it tough. But the fans want knockouts and spectacular fights so that’s what I want to give them.”

Given Mora’s technical ability and sturdy chin, making this a fan-friendly shootout is a lofty task. But Jacobs likens the fight to a game of chess and will look to prove that he’s the better all-around boxer who is ready to take the next step up in competition.

“He has that experience and knows what it is to go the distance and I’m a young champion who hasn’t seen those things thus far,” Jacobs said. “I feel like I have a lot more advantages than he does in the fight. But whatever my advantages are and whatever gets me going will be the deciding factor for me … So if it’s my speed, then I’ll stick to using my speed. If it’s my power, backing him down, showing him what a real middleweight feels like, then that’s what I will do.”