UNCASVILLE, Connecticut – Jaron Ennis isn’t just confident he’ll beat Sergey Lipinets convincingly Saturday night at Mohegan Sun Arena.

The undefeated welterweight from Philadelphia is certain he’ll become the first opponent to knock out Lipinets in their “Showtime Championship Boxing” main event. Kazakhstan’s Lipinets has lost only a 12-round unanimous decision to Mikey Garcia, who dropped Lipinets in the seventh round of their 140-pound bout in March 2018 at Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio.

“Mikey Garcia is a 35-pounder,” Ennis told BoxingScene.com. “I’ve been a 47-pounder since I turned pro. But me stopping Sergey Lipinets, it’s a big statement to the welterweight division. It’s gonna skyrocket my superstardom, my rankings, everything. I feel like everything’s gonna go up after this, and it’s gonna put me right into world-title contention.”

Lipinets, 32, is a former IBF junior welterweight champion and clearly Ennis’ toughest test in nearly five years as a professional. The 23-year-old Ennis envisions an impressive victory over this experienced, rugged opponent converting those that are not yet sold on the unusual skills Ennis has displayed on his way to amassing a 26-0 record and 24 knockouts.

“Whether they believe it or not, they’re gonna see it Saturday night and I’m gonna make them all believers,” Ennis said. “That’s my goal, to make everybody a believer and continue to keep supporting me and showing the world why I feel like I’m the best fighter.”

Ennis is intelligent, multidimensional, fast and strong. He hasn’t boxed beyond the sixth round, though, and his skeptics are anxious to see how he performs in the second half of a 12-round fight against a proven opponent who hasn’t been knocked out.

Lipinets settled for a majority draw with Canada’s Custio Clayton (18-0-1, 12 KOs) in his most recent appearance, a 12-round fight for the IBF interim welterweight title October 24 at Mohegan Sun Arena. Ennis is listed by most Internet sports books as a 12-1 favorite.

“I really don’t see nothing that’s gonna make it difficult,” Ennis said. “He’s gonna be right there in front of me, and that’s perfect for my style. He’s gonna be running into shots all night long. I’m just gonna be in there, having my fun and doing what I need to do, and you know, making that big statement at the end of the night with the knockout.”

Ennis’ most recent bout didn’t last a single round. Chris van Heerden suffered a nasty gash on his forehead in the first round, which prohibited the South African southpaw from continuing in their 12-round fight for the IBO title December 19 at Mohegan Sun Arena.

That disappointing no-contest left Ennis eager to prove himself against a better opponent in this fight.

“I’m real excited because the world is finally getting ready to see what I’m really about,” Ennis said. “I’m gonna be able to show off my tools and skills. I just can’t wait.”

In Showtime’s bout before Ennis encounters Lipinets, Lithuania’s Eimantas Stanionis (12-0, 9 KOs) and Puerto Rico’s Thomas Dulorme (25-4-1, 16 KOs) will square off in a 12-round WBA welterweight elimination match. This three-fight telecast is set to start at 9 p.m. ET, when the Philippines’ Jerwin Ancajas (32-1-2, 22 KOs) and his mandatory challenger, Mexico’s Jonathan Rodriguez (22-1, 16 KOs), will meet in a 12-round, 115-pound title fight for Ancajas’ IBF junior bantamweight championship.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.