Joshua Buatsi is set to transition from rising prospect to red hot contender. 

The 2016 Olympic Bronze medalist steps up in class, as he faces Latvia's Ricards Bolotniks in a regional light heavyweight title fight. The bout headlines the August 14 edition of Matchroom Fight Camp, anchoring the summer series airing live on DAZN from Matchroom Boxing headquarters in Brentwood, Essex. 

“Rising light heavyweight star Joshua Buatsi takes a huge step up when he takes on the MTK Global Golden Contract winner Richard Bolotniks at the top of Week 3,” Eddie Hearn, chairman of Matchroom Boxing said of the crossroads clash fight, which was announced as part of the summer Fight Camp series Monday. “I'm delighted to begin our game-changing partnership with the leading global sports streaming platform DAZN with another sizzling summer of Fight Camp action."

Buatsi (14-0, 12KOs) enters the fight riding an eight-fight knockout streak, including a 4th round stoppage of Daniel Blenda Dos Santos this past May. The one-sided affair saw the 28-year-old Buatsi score two knockdowns before dispatching the unbeaten Frenchman in their regional title fight at Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. 

To date, Buatsi has yet to be extended beyond the 7th round since turning pro in 2017, one year after winning a Bronze medal while representing Great Britain in the 2016 Rio Olympics. 

Bolotniks (18-5-1, 8KOs) has proven far superior to his unflattering record, as he is in the midst of a seven-fight win streak. It has come ever since his drop down from cruiserweight following a 6th round stoppage loss to former title challenger Thabiso Mchunu in June 2018.

In his most recent performance, Bolotniks scored a 10th round stoppage of Serge Michel last December. The 31-year-old Latvian earned top honors in the MTK Golden Contract light heavyweight tournament with the feat as he heads into the high-profile and dangerous assignment. 

Per the Fight Camp release from Matchroom, the undercard for this show includes: 

- 2012 Olympian and unbeaten WBO middleweight titlist Savannah Marshall (10-0, 8 KOs) making her second defense against an opponent to be named;

- Unbeaten featherweight prospect Raymond Ford (8-0-1, 4KOs) of Camden, New Jersey facing Reece Bellotti (14-4, 12KOs), while making his second pro appearance in the UK;

- Portsmouth’s Michael McKinson (20-0, 2 KOs) versus Poland’s Przemyslaw Runowski (19-1, 5 KOs) in his defense of the WBO Global welterweight title; 

- Wokingham’s Felix Cash (14-0, 10 KOs)—who appeared in season one of Matchroom Fight Camp last summer—returning to the ring for the first time since a sensational 3rd round stoppage of unbeaten Denzel Bentley this past April to extend his current four-fight knockout streak; 

-Glasgow’s Kash Farooq (15-1, 6 KOs) in a regional bantamweight title fight;

- Top-rated contender and two-time title challenger Natasha Jonas (9-2-1, 7 KOs), the 2012 Great Britain Olympian who waged a 10-round war with unbeaten junior lightweight titlist Terri Harper on site last August and followed with a valiant effort in a close loss to undisputed lightweight champ Katie Taylor this past May.

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