LAS VEGAS, Nevada – There are far easier ways for Jayson Velez to prove himself in the ring.

The former title challenger from Juncos, Puerto Rico has different ideas about his career, as evidenced in his willingness to accept a relatively short notice assignment versus unbeaten Gabriel Flores Jr. Velez (29-7-1, 21KOs) enters the fight having lost his last two and as a replacement to former 130-pound titlist Andrew Cancio who was forced to withdraw due to a lower back injury.

“I want to prove I’m still a fighter capable of becoming world champion,” Velez told ESPN’s Crystina Poncher during Thursday’s final pre-fight press conference. “This guy right here (Flores), he’s a great fighter. He has the skills and he has the talent.

“This is the fight I need to prove that I am still at the top level. I like to bring action to the fans and I’m ready to give them an exciting fight.”

There is a case to be made that Velez actually deserved the nod in his 12-round fight with unbeaten Jaime Arboleda last January in Brooklyn, New York. Their evenly matched title eliminator saw the veteran contender come up short by just one point on two of the three scorecards, despite flooring Arboleda in the 12th and final round which several viewers felt it should have provided the margin of victory.

Instead, it was the end of a three-fight win streak. There was nothing disputed about his most recent loss, a 10th round knockout at the hands of unbeaten former featherweight titlist Oscar Valdez last July—the first stoppage loss of Velez’s career. Valdez (28-0, 22KOs) headlines Saturday’s show, challenging WBC junior lightweight titlist Miguel Berchelt (38-1, 34KOs) atop an ESPN doubleheader live from MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas.

Velez’s crossroads bout with Flores (19-0, 6KOs) serves as the televised chief support, though with the suggestion of a showcase for the unbeaten rising prospect in the opposite corner. The fight wasn’t even on Velez’s radar until Cancio went on the injury list, though viewed by the 32-year old Boricua as a chance to resuscitate his career.

“The first time being stopped was hard, obviously,” admits Velez. “But you see (Valdez) and he’s a great champion. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. I’m good.

“A lot of great fighters have been knocked out and rise again. There is where I am at.” 

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