PATERSON, New Jersey – Vito Mielnicki Jr. just chalks it up as one of those nights.

The 22-year-old middleweight knows he wasn’t impressive in defeating Italy’s Khalil El Harraz by majority decision in his last fight, which marked Mielnicki’s debut at Madison Square Garden’s Theater in New York. Mielnicki (20-1, 12 KOs) will return to the same ring 4½ months later to take on unbeaten Irishman Connor Coyle in a 10-round, 160-pound fight Friday night on the Denys Berinchyk-Keyshawn Davis undercard.

Mielnicki’s middleweight debut will open ESPN’s three-bout broadcast at 9 p.m. ET. The Roseland, New Jersey resident realizes this is an opportunity he must exploit after he struggled against El Harraz (16-6-1, 2 KOs) on the Mikaela Mayer-Sandy Ryan undercard September 27.

“I have no excuses for my last fight,” Mielnicki told The Ring. “It just wasn’t a good night. I laid an egg, but you’ve gotta go back to the drawing board and keep working and keep leveling up.”

Coyle (21-0, 9 KOs) is the WBA’s third-rated contender in the middleweight division, but he hasn’t beaten a high level of opposition overall.

“This will be my first fight at 160, so I’m excited for the challenge,” Mielnicki said. “I know he has been in there with OK opposition. I wouldn’t say great opposition, but he’s up there for a reason. He’s got that European style. I’ve seen it in the amateurs. I fought a lot of great fighters in the amateurs. But yeah, I’m excited for him to be at the top of his game. I’m gonna be at the top of mine and I’m gonna put on a good fight for the fans. I’m wanna just showcase my talent, show that I’m on a different level and that’s what we’re gonna do.”

Mielnicki, who is promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc., has won 12 fights in a row since Philadelphia’s James Martin (then 6-2) upset him by majority decision in an eight-rounder in April 2021 at Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in Los Angeles. His last performance notwithstanding, Mielnicki has shown improvement while working with Ronnie Shields at the veteran trainer’s gym in Stafford, Texas, just outside of Houston.

He sparred for the Coyle contest with junior middleweight contender Yoenis Tellez (9-0, 7 KOs) and middleweights Lorenzo “Truck” Simpson (15-2, 9 KOs) and Marquis Taylor (18-1-2, 3 KOs, 1 NC).

“You’ve gotta be at the top of your game every day in the gym, or else it could be a long day at the office,” Mielnicki said. “Either you’re ascending or you're gonna get your ass whupped, and that’s not happening. You’re gonna have your bad days, but those are the days when you grow. So, I’m blessed to be in the position I am.”

Coyle is 34 and therefore hopes that a victory over Mielnicki, a 3-1 favorite according to DraftKings, leads to a shot at WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara (31-3-3, 19 KOs) in his next fight. Mielnicki isn’t ranked by the WBA, yet winning this fight for three regional titles would lead to top 15 ratings in the 160-pound division.

“This could be that year where I really take my resume to another level,” Mielnicki said. “I just wanna continue to step up in competition and my team will put me where I need to be. For sure, I feel 2026 is ideal for me to fight for a world title. I’m 20-1 now. I’ve been a pro for five years now.

“Whenever I feel ready, whenever my team feels ready, then that’s the next step. I’ve seen a lot of things where Conor Coyle is saying he wants the world title next. He’s older than me. He’s 34 and he’s right there for a world title. So, for me to be able to get a world title fight in the next year is realistic.”