Last summer, junior welterweight contender Bryan Flores came of age in a losing effort against the highly touted Lindolfo Delgado.

The 29-year-old, who owns a gym in his native Ciudad Juarez, got off the canvas in Round 3 to give the 2016 Mexican Olympian all he could handle en route to dropping a spirited 10-round split decision.

"It was a tough fight. I feel like I didn't lose, but it wasn't Lindolfo's fault," Flores (26-1-1, 15 KOs) told The Ring through promoter Oswaldo Kuchle. "The referee had a lot to do with it. I certainly needed to close more strongly in some rounds. I'm clear about that."

Buoyed by that experience, Flores will look to make a successful return against Argentine veteran Hernan Carrizo on Friday in Tlalnepantla, Mexico, which he hopes will lead to something more significant.

"I'm thinking about my comeback," said Flores, who is trained by Rich Barrientes. "I'm working in the gym, thinking about becoming a world champion, and not just in this fight.

"Now that there are good fights in the division, I'd like to face the winners of those combinations. Devin Haney and Teofimo López are on my radar. Arnold Barboza is my friend and has supported me a lot, but this is a business, and I want to fight for the crown someday, regardless of who holds it."

Delgado (No. 5 WBA, No. 6 WBO, No. 7 IBF) hasn't looked back since that win in August, an eight-year pro with an unbeaten record to protect. He stopped Jackson Marinez in five before Christmas and pitched a hard-fought points win over Elvis Rodriguez last month, steady matchmaking that Flores could've benefited from had he got the nod.

He might still make a breakthrough at 140-pounds, albeit belatedly, but first must get back in the win column against Carrizo.

"It's a complicated fight because of my opponent's style," he admitted. "I don't know him very well, but he's always training, and that's dangerous. I've been training hard with great sparring partners. My team is in charge of analyzing my opponents, and I sometimes watch some videos, but I don't really like watching."

Kuchle, of Latin KO, believes his fighter can bounce back from his first career defeat and into further big fights.

"It's a great opportunity for Bryan Flores to show what he's made of," said the promoter. "He made a great impression in his last fight. He decided to take his time to train in Las Vegas and California, and we're committed to supporting him and getting him to that world title fight.

"I think it's not far off, and we're confident he'll fulfil every boxer's dream. We'll soon see him fighting for the world title and winning that crown."

Carrizo (18-2-1, 8 KOs) has been a professional since 2008. He won 14 of his first 15 fights, the lone blemish being a four-round draw against Sergio Escobar before a fifth-round stoppage against his compatriot in a rematch 20 months later.

However, after losing to Diego Aguilera (TKO 2), he didn't fight for four years and besides a two-fight stint in 2018, hadn't fought for a further six. Since returning, the 38-year-old has won two fights but is coming into this contest after a ninth-round stoppage defeat by former world title challenger Daud Yordan in September.