Sometimes, life comes at you fast. Pablo Valdez knows exactly what that means.

As a youngster, Valdez (9-0, 8 KOs) was always viewed as a good boxer, but after hanging around the wrong crowd, he got himself caught up and was forced to spend a chunk of his life behind bars. Once his eight-year sentence was served, the New York native attempted to rekindle his boxing career.

The process may have been slow and steady but he finally has the momentum he was looking for. Inactivity has certainly plagued him as fighting once a year hasn't done him any favours. Yet, when given opportunities, he has shone against low-level opposition.

Boxing has always been kind to him but at the not-so-young age of 42, Valdez has never spoken about reaching the top of the mountain. Belts are nice, but for whatever reason, they never gravitated towards him. However, with a spotless record and growing exposure on DAZN cards, it's only right he's changing his tune and writing out new goals.

"I want a title shot, honestly," admitted Valdez to The Ring during a recent interview. "That's what I want."

Before naming the likes of WBC titleholder Sebastian Fundora, IBF champion Bakhram Murtazaliev and the rest of the division's dogs, Valdez has a homework assignment.

In just a few short hours, "Pretty Boy" Pablo takes on Cesar Diaz at the Hulu Theater in New York’s Madison Square Garden as part of DAZN's four-fight broadcast topped by Richardson Hitchins' first IBF junior welterweight title defence against George Kambosos Jr.

Improving to a 10-0 record is important, though impressing fans in his hometown serves as an even more pressing motivating tool. Diaz (9-1, 4 KOs , is no pushover, and enters their contest on a three-fight knockout streak while promising that will be four this weekend.

With just a few hours remaining, Valdez has no thoughts of losing but does have a difficult time envisioning how exactly things will play out. That part, from his point of view, depends on Diaz and the approach he emerges with, in their scheduled eight-rounder.

"It depends on what the guy wants to do," Valdez continued. "If he sits there and bangs it out with me, I'mma knock him out cold. If he moves all over the place, I'll grab a decision."