On a night when Brian Castano aims to become Argentina’s first ever undisputed champion in the four-belt era, Amilcar Vidal enters the ring with a similar amount of pride for his home nation.

The unbeaten middleweight prospect is viewed as the best bet to become the first-ever male boxer from Uruguay to win a major title in the pro ranks.

“I do feel like I’m representing all of Uruguay every time I step in the ring,” Vidal told BoxingScene.com. “When I fight in the United States, it’s like the moment is so much bigger than me. I come from a small nation of just three million people.

“In the end, we represent all of Latin America fighting on this stage.”

Vidal (12-0, 11KOs) is still a long way from the title stage, though eager to accelerate his career in order to reach that goal. The ambition has led to his bumping off three straight unbeaten opponents—all in two rounds or less—and now faces his most experienced foe to date in Immanuwel Aleem.

Their middleweight bout serves as part of a Showtime-televised tripleheader, airing live from AT&T Center in San Antonio Texas. Castano (17-0-1, 12KOs) faces Houston’s Jermell Charlo (34-1, 18KOs) in the evening’s main event, where the winner will leave as the first undisputed junior middleweight champion in the four-belt era.

For Vidal, it will mark the third stateside fight of his young career, all coming in his last four starts. It also comes as he trains out of the Coachella, California training facility of Sampson Lewkowicz, Vidal’s promoter and countryman long revered as having one of the best eyes for talent in the sport.  

Just two boxers from Uruguay have ever hit paydirt on the title stage, both being female. Cecilia Comunales (14-1, 9KOs) is a two-time WBA lightweight titlist who retired in 2016, while Christian Adriana “Chris” Namus (25-6, 8KOs) is a former junior middleweight titlist. Only a handful of male Uruguayans have even fought for a major title, all coming up short on that stage.

As he continues to improve with each fight, Vidal is eager to buck that trend while contributing to his nation’s rich sports history. The Uruguay football team has twice won the FIFA World Cup and is favored to qualify for the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

By then, Vidal hopes to present the nation with a boxing champion of its own.

“Everything is connected. We all support each other,” notes Vidal. “Whenever I fight in the U.S. or anywhere else, I’m so proud and honored to wave our flag with pride. It’s emotional for me, no matter where I am.

“Obviously, the country has achieved a lot in sports. I want to continue to do my part to contribute.”

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