Do not judge a book by its cover. It could be more fascinating than expected.

That phrase can apply to boxing as well. A number of fighters have records that do not reflect their talent or potential in the sport. Tevin Farmer is one such boxer. He had a 7-4-1 record after losing to unbeaten and eventual world titleholder Jose Pedraza. Most fighters with that record are written off, relegated to fighting against unbeaten fighters or fighting on club shows.

Rather than become another statistic, Farmer decided to break that trend. The junior lightweight has won his 12 bouts in a row and is on the cusp of becoming a legit contender in the division.

He faces late-sub Daulis Prescott tonight at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California. The 10-round bout will take place on a Golden Boy Promotions card and will open the HBO Latino broadcast, beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/ 7:30 p.m. PT.

Farmer (17-4-1, 4 KOs) was scheduled to fight Juan Rodriguez, who dropped out of the fight. Prescott, the younger brother of longtime fringe contender Breidis Prescott, took the fight with a week’s notice.

While Prescott has 22 knockouts among his 30 wins, it is Farmer who believes his punches will have the most impact on Saturday night.

“People think I can’t punch because I only have four knockouts,” Farmer told RingTV.com on Wednesday. “I have a high IQ. The way I fight is based on the style in front of me. I can box or if I see you hurt, I’m going to get him out.”

Farmer now exudes a confidence of a world champion. And why not? He has demonstrated he could could box and should not be looked at as a stepping stone.

While he does have the four losses early on in his career, he believes he is a different fighter now than he was three years ago.

“I don’t count those as losses,” said Farmer, who resides in Philadelphia. “That Pedraza loss (in October of 2012) was when I was messed up. It was when I wasn’t taking boxing seriously. My life has changed. If someone beats me now, it is a loss. The way I fight now, most think that I’m undefeated.”

“Fighters don’t overlook me anymore. I can compete with anyone at 126 or 130 pounds. I’ve sparred with (Vasyl) Lomanchenko and worked with Danny Garcia. I know where I’m at in my career. I want to continue building a fan base, even out here on the West Coast. It doesn’t matter what HBO channel. I could even build my fan base with Latino fight fans.”

A few more wins could put Farmer in a more lucrative position. He could enter the world rankings (he is not yet ranked by any of the sanctioning bodies at 130 pounds) and make a run at a world title the following year.

That all depends on the type of fights his promoter Lou DiBella would get him.

“For real, after this fight, I believe I could be two to three fights away from a world title. Maybe I could be in one for a world title eliminator in early 2016 and eventually fight for a title. It doesn’t matter who it is. First I have to take care of business on Saturday.”

Farmer’s turnaround from where he was at three years ago is remarkable, but his he is not content until he gets a crack at a world title.

While the lights have been brighter and the purses have gotten bigger, Farmer is in a good place now and better things await.

“I’m ready to fight anyone and I want to prove myself against anyone. I want to show that on Saturday night.”

Francisco A. Salazar has written for RingTV since October of 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (CA) Star newspaper, Boxingscene.com, and Knockout Nation. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing