ORLANDO, Florida — For Abass Baraou, Saturday will represent a moment that has long been in the works.

Baraou will face interim WBA junior middleweight champion Yoenis Tellez at Caribe Royale in the co-main event of a Most Valuable Promotions card on DAZN. Baraou enters the fight ranked No. 1 by the WBA.

“I was waiting a long time for this moment to happen,” Baraou told The Ring. “I'm excited to go in there and show the world what I'm capable of.”

Baraou (16-1, 9 KOs), of Aalen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, enters the high-stakes clash on a seven-fight winning streak. In his last one, Baraou defended his European junior middleweight title with a unanimous decision over Macaulay McGowan.

Baraou’s lone loss was a split decision to former junior middleweight title challenger Jack Culcay in 2020.

Tellez (10-0, 7 KOs), a decorated amateur from Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, won the interim title with a unanimous decision over former unified junior middleweight champion Julian Williams.

“He’s a great opponent,” Baraou said. “He’s a good fighter, and he’s got a good boxing IQ.”

With Terence Crawford holding the WBA junior middleweight title, the winner of Tellez vs. Baraou will be well-positioned to be elevated to full titlist or fight for the full title in 2026. Despite what could lie ahead, the moment doesn’t change one bit for the German contender.

“We were looking forward to this moment,” Baraou said. “I've done all the hard work. I'm here at this moment. There's no pressure at all, and I know what I'm capable of and I know the opponent, so I'm just looking forward to getting into the ring on Saturday night."