Yenifel Vicente will be Tramaine Williams’ most difficult opponent thus far as a pro, but not only is Williams looking to remain unbeaten, he wants to make a statement to the rest of the junior featherweight division.

The unbeaten prospect will square off against Vicente Saturday night at the College Park Center in Arlington, Texas. The 10-round bout will stream live on DAZN (9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT).

In the main event, WBO junior welterweight titleholder Maurice Hooker of nearby Dallas will face Jose Ramirez, the WBC titleholder, in a 12-round unification fight.

Williams (18-0, 6 knockouts), who resides in New Haven, Connecticut, defeated Neil John Tabanao of the Philippines by unanimous decision in his last bout on June 29. Saturday night will mark his fourth fight this year, after having had only one outing in 2018.

The 26-year-old Williams has faced legal issues in the past, including four stints in prison for a variety of offenses since 2013. Two nights before a scheduled fight in June 2014 at Madison Square Garden, he was arrested for drugs and weapons possession. Williams would spend roughly one year in prison and was dropped from a promotional deal with Top Rank.

With renewed focus and a promotional deal with Roc Nation in place, Williams has re-dedicated himself to moving forward with his career and staying out of trouble. The talented southpaw, who has previously sparred Vasiliy Lomachenko, believes he is ready to face the best.

“I finally get to showcase who I really am,” said Williams at Thursday’s press conference. “Come Saturday night, I’ll show what I can do.”

A lot is on the line for both Williams and Vicente. Both fighters will be fighting for a regional title belt and an IBF top-10 ranking.

Vicente (35-3-2, 27 KOs), who is originally from the Dominican Republic and now resides in Miami, stopped Albert Gonzalez in three rounds on Apr. 27. He has won his last 10 bouts since dropping a unanimous decision to Eric Hunter in March 2014.

The 33-year-old Vicente is ranked No. 6 by the WBO.

Francisco A. Salazar has written for The Ring since October 2013. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing

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