Former IBF bantamweight titleholder Ryosuke Nishida had been working on his return up at junior featherweight and was expected to face former IBF 115-pound beltholder Jerwin Ancajas but on Thursday, it was announced that instead Nishida would face Bryan Mercado.

The two will meet in an IBF 122-pound eliminator as part of an event dubbed, "Cosme Felice & Emravi presents You Will Be the Champion 27," at the Sumiyoshi SportsCenter in Osaka, Japan come February 15.

"I wanted to fight a fighter who has the ambition to become world champion, so I'm motivated," Nishida (10-1, 2 KOs) said at Thursday's press conference to announce the fight. "I want to win and gain confidence."

"I've watched the video once, and he has a Mexican rhythm, uppercuts, and punching power. Trainer [Kosuke] Takeichi and I are roughly working out how to counter him."

It will be Nishida's first fight since he was stopped in six rounds by Junto Nakatani in an IBF and WBC bantamweight unification on June 8. In that matchup, Nishida sustained a shoulder injury but is now back to full fitness.

The 29-year-old southpaw admitted he was happy to be facing Mercado and not Ancajas at the presser, with the latter unable to fight due to family reasons.

"[Ancajas is] a strong fighter, even though he's lost to a Japanese guy [Takuma Inoue], I'm on a downward slope," he said. "Even if I win, I don't think a win would significantly boost my reputation."

The goal, if victorious against the dangerous Mexican opponent is to challenge the winner of the mooted Naoya Inoue-Junto Nakatani showdown, which is pencilled in for May should both win interim fights as part of Ring V: Night of The Samurai on December 27.

"If Nakatani wins, I want to get revenge on him," he said. "If Inoue wins, I want to fight him, I want the winner."

Nishida turned professional in 2019 and in just his third outing, scored an eight-round points win over former world title challenger Shohei Omari. He followed that by dominating former WBC flyweight titlist Daigo Higa to the tune of wide scorecards over 12 rounds.

A wrist injury in his next fight saw him spend an extended period on the sidelines. After recovering, he continued his ascent by outpointing Mexico's Christian Medina in a 12-round IBF eliminator, then beat Emmanuel Rodriguez over the same distance to win IBF gold.

Following one successful defence, a seventh-round stoppage win over Anuchai Donsua, Nakatani unseated him this summer before himself opting to move up in weight once more.

Mercado meanwhile, turned professional in 2014. The Ring's No. 10-rated junior featherweight contender has reeled off 31 consecutive wins since losing his second fight, a four-round split decision, against Rigoberto Nava in September 2015.

Among his ever-improving resume, his most notable victories are stoppage wins over South Africa's Mzuvukile Magwaca (TKO1), longtime Filipino contender Arthur Villanueva (KO9) and a 10-round points victory over former world title challenger Jose Velasquez (UD10).