Rising French junior middleweight Bakary Samake will face unbeaten Alejandro Ortiz on Saturday at the Palais des Sport Marcel Cerdan, Levallois-Perret, on the outskirts of Paris.

Samake, who has been training in Las Vegas, expects a fan-friendly shootout against his dangerous Venezuelan opponent.

"I think this fight is going to be explosive because I'm meeting what we call a puncher with 24 fights 23 KOs and no defeats," Samake (18-0, 10 KOs) told The Ring through a translator. "His team insisted a lot that I face him because they are convinced [he will] beat me.

"For my part, I see the stats, but when I look at the opponents he's faced before me, I tell myself he hasn't encountered anyone like me yet, and I fully intend to make him regret having pushed so hard to fight me!"

Samake's father, Issa, who is also his manager, trainer and promoter, concurs with son that they are on another level to Ortiz.

"As my son said, Ortiz's team has been pestering us to make this fight happen," said Samake Sr. "They're certain they'll win, but they're not ready to see Bakary's progress. This fight against a profile like Ortiz is another experience for Bakary, what I call a 'maintenance fight.'

"For two years now, we've been living practically half the year in Las Vegas with increasingly difficult training camps, and Bakary is progressing at an incredible rate."

The 22-year-old is coming off a strong performance against South Africa's Rourke Knapp, who he knocked out in eight rounds in front of a huge audience on April 18.

"I was able to show what I was worth against Roarke Knapp with this KO," he said. "My boxing is fast and technical; the opponent does not have time to understand what is happening to him and that is what makes me special.

"It was truly incredible to fight in front of 40,000 people and it is this indescribable feeling that I want to be able to find again as soon as possible in my next fight."

Samake has spent time around top boxers in Las Vegas, such as Tim Tszyu, Troy Isley and Brian Mendoza, which has given him a certain admiration for that they go through to do what they do but believes his time is coming.

"I know how much as a professional boxer you have to make huge sacrifices to box at the highest level, so there is a form of respect for their journey, yes, they are good fighters but from my point of view I feel ready to face them," he said. "I hope to have opportunities soon to fight against the top of my category to show that I too have my place at the top."

Issa Samake feels his son is ready for a breakout year and the big names in the talent-laden junior middleweight division.

"For early 2026, we're preparing for his WBC Silver title defense with the hope of getting a world title shot soon," said Issa. "We also have some great opportunities coming our way with good boxers who would delight the public, but before committing to a path, we prefer to observe the developments.

"Bakary was announced as No. 1 in the WBC world rankings; champions will soon have no choice but to ignore Bakary."

Ortiz (25-0, 24 KOs) has been a professional for six years. He has fought exclusively in his homeland of Venezuela.

Despite his glamorous record, the 24-year-old hasn't faced anyone close to Samake's ability, and this will represent a significant step up in class. He has won three fights this year albeit against limited opposition.