Danielito Zorrilla knew the tough assignment to which he agreed on just four weeks’ notice.

Still, the reward far outweighed the risk.

“I appreciate the opportunity,” Zorrila said of the chance to challenge WBC junior welterweight titlist Regis Prograis. “I think he’s a great fighter with tremendous experience. He’s going to want to make a statement in front of his home fans.

“What’s going to happen, though, is that he will run into El Zorro. He better be ready for a war because we are.”

“It is a huge fight for me. We are giving our all and putting everything into this so that we can shock the world on Saturday.

Puerto Rico’s Zorrilla (17-1, 13KOs) was in the right place at the right time when Australia’s Liam Paro was forced to withdraw from the title fight exactly one month ago due to injury. Prograis (28-1, 24KOs) was eager to secure a new opponent to preserve his long overdue homecoming, which allowed Zorrilla to slide in for his first career title fight this Saturday on DAZN from Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The fight comes less than a year after Zorrilla suffered his lone career defeat, a competitive but clear points loss to Arnold Barboza Jr. in their battle of unbeaten junior welterweights last July 15 in Temecula, California. The 29-year-old from Toa Alta, Puerto Rico has since rebounded with a first-round knockout on March 18 in Panama City, Panama.

Prograis became a two-time 140-pound titlist following an eleventh-round knockout of Jose Zepeda in their vacant WBC title fight last November 26 in Carson, California. The 34-year-old New Orleans-born southpaw is a healthy -1400 favorite according to bet365 sportsbook, which lists Zorrilla as a +800 underdog to prevail in hostile territory.

The odds reflect the level of dominance exuded by Prograis outside of his October 2019 majority decision defeat to Josh Taylor in their unification bout and World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) final. It was on display in his knockout win over Zepeda, a fact not at all lost on Saturday’s longshot challenger.

“He’s a great boxer and one of the best in the world," acknowledged Zorrilla. "I believe in my abilities and believe I possess the skills and talent to beat him.”

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