Angel Fierro was not about to let the door to opportunity go unanswered.

While he is the underdog and fighting in his opponent’s backyard, Fierro is confident he can score an upset victory and become a legit contender at 135 pounds on Thursday night.

Fierro will face Alberto Machado at the Alberque Olimpico in Salinas, Puerto Rico. The 10-round bout will headline a three-bout ‘Ring City USA’ telecast (NBC Sports Network, 9 pm ET/6 pm PT.)

At Wednesday’s weigh-in, Fierro weighed in at 134.8 pounds. Machado weighed 135 pounds.

Could late sub Fierro pull off a runaway career best win on the RING CITY show? Photos by Tom Hogan

Fierro took the fight over a week ago after his original opponent, the unbeaten lightweight Hector Tanajara, had to withdraw from the Machado fight due to an illness. The clash between Machado and Fierro will be the latest chapter in the storied rivalry between Puerto Rico and Mexico.

The 22-year-old Fierro (17-1-1, 13 knockouts), who is originally from Tijuana, Mexico and now resides in San Diego, California, last fought on October 16, knocking out Alexis Reyes in round 9. The fight took place nine months after Fierro lost by majority decision to Alex Martin.

Despite the short notice for the fight against Machado, Fierro does not believe that will be a factor as he was already in the gym training for a fight.

“I was in preparations and training hard for a fight on March 12th so this has been no issue for me,” Fierro told The Ring. “I’m ready to fight on Thursday night.

“I worked on different techniques in the gym to make myself a better and more complete fighter. I knew I could get better (from the loss to Martin).”

Fierro, who utilized the services of former world champion and trainer Erik Morales, will be taking a significant step-up in opposition against Machado (22-2, 18 KOs), who resides in San Juan. Machado was victorious in his last bout in December 2019, dropping Ecuador’s Luis Porozo three times before ending matters in round 2.

Prior to the win over Porozo, Machado lost back-to-back fights by knockout to Andrew Cancio.

Including the loss to Martin, Fierro has only faced three fighters with winning records. Despite Machado being the decisive favorite and having faced the better opposition between the two, Fierro is confident in his abilities to have his arm raised in victory.

“I have a very strong belief in myself and my talents,” said Fierro, who turned pro in October 2015. “Just because I have not faced the same level of opposition doesn’t mean I couldn’t beat the same fighters he defeated.”

Aside from a regional title belt on the line against Machado, Fierro is motivated to win by his daughter and his parents. A win over Machado will open several doors for Fierro in a very competitive lightweight division.

“A victory for me would be life changing to me and my family.”