Michael Coffie insists he will get it right the second time around. (photo by Ryan Hafey)

The heavyweight hopeful is presented with a chance to avenge his lone career defeat, which came in a shockingly one-sided, fifth-round stoppage to Jonnie Rice just five months ago. Rice (14-6-1, 10KOs) was a late replacement for Gerald Washington (Covid) and entered the July 31 Fox-televised main event as a 10-1 underdog. Coffie was seemingly caught off guard from the opening bell and never in the fight as he was dealt his first loss as a pro.

The two collide once again, coming this Saturday as part of a five-fight heavyweight Pay-Per-View event distributed by Fox Sports and Fite TV. This time around, Coffie insists he is ready for Rice—the only fighter he has had to focus on for the past several months.

“He’s the original opponent and it stayed that way from the beginning,” Coffie noted during the final pre-fight press conference Thursday afternoon. “We prepared specifically for him.

“I felt a lot more healthy than I did for the previous fight. There were some nagging, lingering injuries heading into that fight. This time around, we’re a lot more healthy now and ready to go.”

Coffie (12-1, 9KOs) quickly became a favorite on the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) circuit since his televised debut on FS1 last August. The eight-year U.S. Marine and former top amateur was riding a four-fight knockout streak heading into his first televised headliner, only for Rice to bring his career progress to a crashing halt.

Saturday night is all about get-back, though it's strictly business.

“This is not no real beef or anything like that,” noted Coffie, who enjoyed playful but competitive banter on stage with Rice. “It’s part of the game. We’re gonna play the game on Saturday. May the best man win—me.”

The rematch between Rice and Coffie takes place at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Headlining the show, top contender Luis Ortiz (32-2, 27KOs; 2NC) faces fellow southpaw and former IBF heavyweight titlist Charles Martin (28-2-1, 25KOs) in a scheduled twelve-round title eliminator.

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