Srisaket Sor Rungvisai is not buying the logic that younger is better.

It’s a storyline that precedes the 35-year-old’s bid to become a three-time WBC junior bantamweight titlist. Sor Rungvisai has the chance to make history for his native Thailand as he challenges reigning titlist Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez (15-0, 10KOs). The fight takes place this Saturday (DAZN, 8:00 p.m. ET), against an unbeaten fighter nearly 14 years his junior and on the road at Tech Port Arena in Rodriguez’s hometown of San Antonio, Texas.   

I’m in great shape. I worked hard and I’m here to win and bring the title back home to Thailand.

“Bam is a young fighter,” Sor Rungvisai said of the unbeaten 22-year-old during Thursday’s final pre-fight press conference at Regency East at Hyatt Regency near San Antonio’s famed Riverwalk. “He doesn’t have the experience that I do. I know he’s a fast fighter but I’m going to use my experience and my power to take over.”

It’s a tall order for Thailand’s Sor Rungvisai (50-5-1, 43KOs), who has been out of the ring for 15 months and is more than three years removed from his second title reign. His chance at regaining the WBC title and avenging a prior defeat fell apart barely a week out from his scheduled rematch with Carlos Cuadras this past February 5 in Phoenix. He was replaced by Rodriguez, who accepted the fight on six days’ notice and soundly outpointed Cuadras to become boxing’s youngest active champion.

It came at the expense of Sor Rungvisai’s untimely kidney ailment, though he is now all healed and ready to reclaim past glory against one of the sport’s brightest future stars.  

“I’m in great shape. I worked hard and I’m here to win and bring the title back home to Thailand.”

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