Jamaine Ortiz has vowed to force Nahir Albright to sing a different tune this weekend.

The pair of rising lightweights collide in an intriguing style mix atop a Showtime ShoBox: The New Generation doubleheader this Friday from Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida. Both have appeared on televised and streaming platforms in recent outings but make their series debut in their upcoming scheduled ten-round affair.

“This is what I’m meant to do,” Ortiz told BoxingScene.com. “I’m in the boxing scene for a reason. I’m here to perform and show the sport who I say I am.”

Ortiz’s opponent, Philadelphia’s Albright (14-1, 7KOs) made headlines with a pair of notable wins to finish out his 2021 campaign along with his compelling backstory as an aspiring R&B singer. His performances come complete with belting out a few lyrics during his post-fight interview, while bringing a slick style and a 14-fight win streak into the ring this Friday.

On the other side, Ortiz (14-0-1, 8KOs) is as no-nonsense as they come. You won’t catch him crooning for the crowd, though he’s not completely against his opponent carrying on the tradition.

“I hope he does sing, it’s good entertainment,” admits Ortiz. “It’s good for ShoBox, it’s good for viewers. It’s entertaining for the fans. Win or lose—well, he’s gonna lose, so when he loses I hope he still grabs the mic and sings, it's good entertainment.”

The 25-year-old from Worcester, Massachusetts loves nothing more than a high-energy affair in the ring, dragging opponents into his fight and then making them pay. He did so in a seventh-round knockout of Sulaiman Segawa on the November 2020 streamed undercard preceding a Pay-Per-View headlined by Hall of Famers Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. in an exhibition match. Ortiz followed up with the lone blemish on his record, though a reminder of why he remains must-see TV. Ortiz survived two knockdowns to fight to an eight-round majority decision draw with Joseph Adorno in their ESPN+ streamed slugfest between unbeaten lightweights last April in Kissimmee, Florida.

A very different look is expected from Albright, though Ortiz will do his part to ensure that the fight looks the same as all others—fought on his own terms.

“People ask if I study fighters, this and that. I usually don’t because I’m focused on my fight and fighting how I want to be,” insists Ortiz. “If I focus too much on my opponent then I wind up fighting their fight. I want to always be in a position to capitalize on their mistakes.”

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