Former unified junior middleweight champion Julian Williams isn’t placing too much cache in career credentials heading into his Saturday night clash versus undefeated upstart contender Yoenis Tellez.

“I’m not dependent on experience. I’m dependent on my skillset and being the best that I can be – experience can actually be overrated. I’m focused on being prepared and being me,” said Williams. “I want to be great. When there’s a gun, you don’t run away. You run toward the gun. That’s my mentality. I want to be great … He’s a good young fighter, but we don’t know too much about him. I let my team study his tape, and we just go in the gym and work on the plan. We’re fine-tuning some things and we’re going to show up March 1 ready to win.”

Williams (29-4-1, 17 KOs), a 15-year pro from Philadelphia, is seeking a turn-back-the-clock-like performance against Tellez.

After scoring a career-best win via unanimous decision versus Jarrett Hurd in 2019 to capture the WBA, IBF, and IBO belts, Williams got stopped the next time out versus Jeison Rosario in 2020 and he’s failed to capture the magic ever since, suffering a split decision loss to Vladimir Hernandez in 2021 and a stoppage to Carlos Adames in 2023. A pair of wins against unheralded contenders have been sandwiched in between.

Williams, 34, will try to rise to the occasion to his newfound gatekeeper status against Tellez (9-0, 7 KOs), a 24-year-old from Puerto Rico.

“I’ve had an outstanding training camp because I know what this opportunity means to me,” said Tellez. “This is the opportunity of a lifetime and I want to take full advantage on March 1.

“I wanted a challenge and when Julian’s name came up, I was ready to go. He’s an exciting challenge for me to work and figure out how to overcome.

“This fight is going to establish me in this division and show what I can do. Everyone will see. Julian has everything to gain and everything to lose just like I do. But my motivation is to get where he’s already been. I have to beat him in order to do so.”

Williams vs. Tellez will kick off the Prime Video and PPV.com card headlined by the Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach Jr. fight at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.