Few things fuel a fighter like an opportunity to fight in front of a home crowd.

For Joshua James “JJ” Pagan, it won’t just be a partisan crowd for him on Oct. 23; he’ll be fighting on the same island that his father’s side of the family is from. Pagan, a 5-foot-10 lightweight from Grand Rapids, Michigan, will look to take a significant step in his career when he faces Maliek Montgomery for the vacant WBO NABO lightweight title in the main event of a Salita Promotions card. The bout will take place at the Coliseíto Pedrín Zorrilla in San Juan, Puerto Rico and stream live on DAZN.

The undefeated lightweight prospect isn’t downplaying the magnitude of fighting in Puerto Rico, though he noted that the added pressure will prove to be a good thing when he steps into the ring against Montgomery.

“It means everything to me,” Pagan told The Ring. “Being able to perform in front of my family, where my father's side of the family comes from, just being able to have this big opportunity fighting for the NABO title, I'm just very blessed [and] very grateful.”

He added: “[It adds a] lot of motivation. A lot of pressure, but good pressure, because having people come out to support you, it brings the best out of you to want to perform and show them what you're capable of.”

The WBO NABO title was previously held by Abdullah Mason (19-0, 17 KOs), who will be fighting for the vacant WBO lightweight title against Sam Noakes (17-0, 15 KOs) on "The Ring IV" card on Nov. 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Pagan’s start in the sport was largely because of his father and trainer, Victor Pagan. JJ’s affinity with boxing began at a young age. He watched his father compete as an amateur and got to watch some of the sport's biggest fights at home with friends and family. Throughout JJ's own rise, he and his and father have been tied at the hip.

“Growing up, I always wanted to be like him,” Pagan said of his father. “He used to be an amateur boxer back in the day, so I just wanted to follow those footsteps. We always hosted fight parties. The first fight I watched was [Floyd] Mayweather versus [Oscar] De La Hoya, and that really drew me into boxing. That's when I knew what I wanted to do right then and there. It's amazing. I wouldn't want to share [these moments] with anybody else. He's been with me since the very beginning.”

“I always dreamed of being the person that my family came to the house to gather to watch me fight,” Pagan said. “Now, that's a reality and it gives me goosebumps thinking about it. It’s very surreal.”

Pagan’s bout against Montgomery will mark the second time he’s fought in Puerto Rico. In his lone bout in Puerto Rico, Pagan (13-0, 4 KOs), a three-time Michigan Golden Gloves Champion and 2021 USA Boxing National Champion at 147 pounds, won a unanimous decision over Haskell Rhodes (32-8-1, 16 KOs) on Oct. 18 of last year. He has since won consecutive bouts by one-sided unanimous decision earlier this year.

In Montgomery, Pagan, 25, believes he’ll be up against the toughest test of his career. Montgomery (20-1, 18 KOs) of Macon, Georgia, had won eight of his last nine fights inside the distance before suffering the first loss of his career, a unanimous decision defeat to Jeremy Hill (22-4-1, 13 KOs) on March 22.

“He's a very solid [and] very tough opponent,” Pagan said. ”His style is very relentless. His last fight didn't do him any justice there. There are a lot of factors in that fight why he performed the way he did. So I'm expecting the best Maliek Montgomery.”

Given the current state of the lightweight division, an impressive showing against Montgomery could be exactly what he needs to cement himself as a player in one of boxing's glamour weight classes. And if he can do it on the same island where his family’s love for boxing began with his late grandfather, Gonzalo Pagan Sr., that’d make what would be Pagan’s most important win to date that much more special.

“It'll be that step that I need to get to that next level,” Pagan said. “This fight, it's a crossroads for me and Maliek. We have everything to gain in this fight.”