ATLANTA – Erickson Lubin had no interest in a tune-up fight.

Lubin is already the WBC’s number one contender for one of Jermell Charlo’s championships. He could’ve chosen a safer opponent as he attempts to remain in position for another shot at the WBC’s 154-pound crown.

The strong southpaw from Orlando, Florida, still didn’t hesitate to accept a fight against Jeison Rosario. Charlo floored Rosario three times and knocked him out with a body shot in the eighth round of Rosario’s most recent bout, but Rosario remains a risky opponent for Lubin.

The Dominican Republic’s Rosario (20-2-1, 14 KOs) and Lubin (23-1, 16 KOs) will meet in an intriguing 12-round WBC elimination match Saturday night on the Gervonta Davis-Mario Barrios undercard at State Farm Arena. Lubin-Rosario will be the third of four fights Showtime will offer as part of its pay-per-view event (9 p.m. EDT; $74.99).

“We both hungry,” Lubin said Wednesday night during an open workout at the College Football Hall of Fame. “I just think I want it more. You know, I think my preparation is gonna speak for itself. And on Saturday night, man, the fans can expect fireworks. They can expect the best of me.”

The 25-year-old Lubin has won five consecutive contests since Houston’s Charlo (34-1, 18 KOs) knocked him out with one punch in the first round of their WBC title fight in October 2017 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Lubin convincingly out-pointed their other common opponent, Nathaniel Gallimore, in a 10-round encounter in October 2019 at Santander Arena in Reading, Pennsylvania. Gallimore (21-5-1, 17 KOs) became the first fighter to beat Rosario when he dropped Rosario three times on his way to a sixth-round stoppage in April 2017 at Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall in Las Vegas.

“I’ve seen him fight against Charlo and others,” Lubin said. “I’ve seen him enough. I know what I have to do to get him out of there. I’m a competitor and I wanna give the fans the best show.”

A week before Charlo knocked out Rosario, Lubin beat Terrell Gausha (22-2-1, 11 KOs) by unanimous decision in their 12-rounder September 19 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. He is consistently listed as nearly a 3-1 favorite versus Rosario.

“My loss affected me and motivated me big time,” Lubin said. “I know my abilities and I know what I’m capable of, so I just went back to the drawing board and took it all in. I understood how serious this sport is, and how unforgiving this sport is. So, I knew I had to go out there and do things different to take my career to another level. That’s what I did.”

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