The big fights will come at some point for William Zepeda.

For now, the unbeaten lightweight contender is pleased with his current career trajectory.

“My last two fights were against ex-world champions. I enjoyed going all those rounds and learning from those fights to make me a better fighter,” Zepeda told BoxingScene.com. “Obviously, early knockouts make it easier for you to get back into the ring quicker and more often. But the level I’m competing at, we expected to go more rounds and have trained harder to prepare for these fights. It has shown in my performances. The last two fights were against ex-world champions. I enjoyed going all those rounds and learning from those fights to make me a better fighter.”

Wins over Rene Alvarado and Joseph ‘JoJo’ Diaz were part of a three-fight 2022 campaign for Mexico’s Zepeda (27-0, 23KOs). The next step in his promising career comes in a scheduled ten-round lightweight bout versus Jaime Arboleda (19-2, 14KOs), a divisional gatekeeper from Panama City, Panama. The two meet atop a DAZN show this Saturday from College Park Center on the campus of The University of Texas at Arlington.

“I know that Jaime Arboleda is a crafty veteran,” noted Zepeda. “He knows his way around the ring. Anything can happen. This fight will be important to set up what I expect to be a big year for me.”

The bout was originally tabbed to appear on the Gervonta Davis-Ryan Garcia undercard which took place last Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It was moved back one week to salvage the April 29 DAZN show after Vergil Ortiz Jr. (19-0, 19KOs) fell ill and was forced to postpone his challenge of WBA ‘Regular’ welterweight titlist Eimantas Stanionis (14-0, 10KOs; 1NC).

Zepeda expects to be in the title picture in due time. He was in position to go the WBC route after last October’s win over Diaz, a 2012 U.S. Olympian and former IBF junior lightweight titlist whom Zepeda soundly outpointed over twelve rounds. The WBC began its process weeks later of securing an opponent for Shakur Stevenson (20-0, 10KOs) in a lightweight title eliminator, though Golden Boy Promotions declined the invitation at the time.

“I wanted to fight Shakur Stevenson. My team made a call to not have me fight him next, and we all work together,” noted Zepeda. “We are on the same page and I understand why they made that call. I have faith in my team’s ability to deliver that fight when the time is right.

“Right now, I have to worry about Jaime Arboleda. It will be important to set up what I expect to be a big year for me.”

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