Alfredo Angulo finds himself in the same situation as was the case for his previous opponent—entering a fight date which no longer has means to an end.

What was once an elimination bout where the winner would move one step closer to a shot at the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title held by Calbe Plant, is now just another fight for the 38-year old Mexican slugger from Coachella, California. That status changed when originally scheduled foe Caleb Truax fell ill and was forced to withdraw from their Fox-televised chief support.

Angulo will now face Denver’s Vladimir Hernandez (11-4, 6KOs) in a 10-round bout where the winner simply remains in the mix but is not necessarily any closer to a tile shot than when the day began. It’s good enough for the former title challenger, who is only taking things one fight at a time in the twilight of his career.

"First thing's first, I have to focus on Saturday night,” Angulo (26-7, 21KOs) noted during a recent media conference call, brushing off any future plans of challenging for a world title. “Whatever comes next, including a possible fight for the world title, it will only happen if I win.

“This will be an interesting fight and a great challenge for me.”

The bout comes 11 months after Angulo reemerged as at least a bubble contender in the super middleweight division, following a 10-round win over Peter Quillin last September. Quillin was previously due to face Truax in a rematch to their truncated final title eliminator which ended due to a cut after just two rounds last April. The rematch never saw the light of day, as Truax suffered a training camp injury which required surgery and months of rehabilitation.

Angulo was unranked by the IBF at the time, but took advantage of the situation and produced his most meaningful win in years. While past his best date, he still looked far fresher than Quillin—which he attributes to the work put in with head trainer Abel Sanchez at his Big Bear (California) training camp.

“Abel Sanchez really has a fountain of youth,” insists Angulo, figuratively of course. “I feel very rejuvenated. I feel like I’ve turned back the clock. The biggest thing I gain from being in Abel’s gym is the confidence he gives me.  It’s also about being challenged in the gym every day.

"To be challenged by other fighters and pushed to the limit every day. It’s about trying to make each other better. The level at the gym where we train is fantastic. What I want to do now is give back to my fans by putting on a great performance.”

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox