Erickson Lubin understands exactly what he signed up for when he passed on his mandated shot at Bakhram Murtazaliev’s IBF junior middleweight title.

Lubin didn’t just agree to fight in his opponent’s proverbial backyard November 8 in Fort Worth, Texas. Vergil Ortiz is one of the most fearless, ferocious fighters in the 154-pound division, the type of dangerous opponent Lubin believes will earn him the widespread respect he craves when he pulls off an upset.

“I feel like he’s a savage,” Lubin told The Ring. “He fights. You’re gonna really have to like kill him. You’ve gotta really put a beating on him. He’s not gonna stop. He’s strong. He has experience. Even though he hasn’t fought none of the champions, he has experience. He’s fought some respectable opponents. And he has a great coach in Robert Garcia, so I feel like we definitely got our hands full.”

Ortiz (23-0, 21 KOs), of nearby Grand Prairie, Texas, will defend his WBC super welterweight title against Lubin (27-2, 19 KOs) at Dickies Arena.

If Ortiz wins, he could finally fight rival Jaron Ennis next, assuming he defeats Angola’s Uisma Lima (14-1, 10 KOs) on October 11 at Wells Fargo Center in Ennis' hometown of Philadelphia. It'll be the 154-pound debut for the heavily favored Ennis (34-0, 30 KOs, 1 NC).

DAZN will stream the Ennis-Lima and Ortiz-Lubin bouts in hopes of offering a highly anticipated showdown between the favorites to its subscribers sometime in February.

Lubin, an experienced southpaw from Orlando, Florida, is motivated to ruin one of the most intriguing fights in boxing. The 29-year-old contender is also hellbent on disproving the perception that he is past his prime three years after his brutal battle with Sebastian Fundora.

Lubin is 3-0 since that unforgettable fight was stopped following the ninth round in April 2022 in Las Vegas. He has defeated a pair of unbeaten boxers in his last two bouts — Jesus Ramos (then 20-0) and Ardreal Holmes (then 17-0) — but Lubin senses fans and pundits have overlooked him due to the brutal nature of his loss to Fundora and his one-punch, first-round knockout defeat to former unified champ Jermell Charlo in October 2017.

The IBF ordered Russia’s Murtazaliev (23-0, 17 KOs) to defend his title against Lubin, who defeated Holmes by 11th-round technical knockout in an elimination match May 10 in Kissimmee, Florida, to become mandatory challenger. As much as another title shot appealed to him, Lubin chose to oppose Ortiz, 27, because it’ll pay him a bigger purse and its a higher-profile opponent.

“I feel like this is gonna be a breakout performance for me,” Lubin said. “I feel like this is the best the whole boxing world will ever see me. It’s a great matchup for the fans and I feel like it’s gonna be a big win for myself. I’m just ready to solidify my name as one of the best 154-pounders ever.”