When the opportunity came, Sam Goodman was only too happy to move up four pounds to featherweight and face WBA ruler Nick Ball in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Aug. 16.

Goodman, rated at No. 4 by The Ring at junior featherweight, had twice been scheduled to face Ring/undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue, only for cuts to prevent them both.

"It's something that presented itself," Goodman (20-0, 8 KOs) told The Ring. "It's almost like I was getting shut out in the junior featherweight division after what occurred with the cuts. There was no whispers of anything happening and I can understand them being reluctant with what happened.

"I got into this sport to become a world champion, and this is best route to achieve it and that's why I'm taking it on. It's a massive opportunity and a lifelong dream for me to become a world champion and August 16, I get to achieve it."

The 26-year-old, who had fought much of his whole career at 122 pounds, doesn't envisage any issues with stepping up in weight for this fight and is taking it in his stride.

"I'm a pretty big junior featherweight. Everyone I work with is usually a lot bigger than featherweight," he said. "It's no problem for me. I expected one day I'd be going up to featherweight anyway. It's just a little bit of an easier weight cut."

Goodman has been preparing since late May in West Gosford, Australia, with his coach Joel Keegan.

Ball-Goodman is part of the Moses Itauma-Dillian Whyte undercard at ANB Arena. DAZN Pay-Per-View will stream the Esports World Cup Fight Week show (£15.99 in the UK; $49.99 in the United States).

Team Goodman will arrive in Dubai in early August to acclimatize to the time zones and will head to Riyadh a week before the fight.

In addition to the two cuts that ruined dates in December and January, Goodman also had a laceration against his recent opponent, Cesar Vaca. To mitigate the chances of disaster striking again, other measures have been put in place.

"We're taking precautions, the sparring sessions, we've always applied lots of Vaseline, each and every round," he said. "I'm wearing a nose bar with my head gear, I never used to wear the nose bar, that's a little thing we're trying to do to give the face the full protection."

Goodman agrees this will be the best fighter he's faced to date, but feels ready for the extremely aggressive champion.

"One hundred percent, on paper you have to say, he's got the runs on the board, but we'll see fight night," he said. "He's fit, he's strong, he's got underrated boxing skills as well. He's a good little fighter. He's small, he's compact and he uses that quite well to his advantage, makes a small target of himself. You don't become a world champion without being a good fighter.

"It's up to me to do my job as best as possible. Every fight you've got to go in and try to be at your best. That's where my full focus is trying to put myself in the best position to win this fight."

The Australian believes he can execute his game plan and stop Ball in his tracks.

"You need to get your respect, and you need to get it early, so it's no different in this fight. I know I've got to make him respect me," he said. "That's what I'm looking to do. Implement my style on him."

Goodman is confident of being victorious and knows that it would be life-changing and could even see him facing Inoue at 126.

"My world opens up so much more winning this fight," he said. "That's where my full focus is and I'm not getting ahead of myself. It's at the back of my mind [facing Inoue], but I'm aware of the opportunities that lie ahead."

Ball (22-0-1, 13 KOs), rated at No. 3 by The Ring at featherweight, turned professional in 2017 and claimed a WBC regional title by beating Isaac Lowe on the undercard of Tyson Fury-Dillian Whyte. That proved to be the leg up he needed for the 28-year-old, adding wins over Ludumo Lamati and former junior featherweight titlist Isaac Dogboe to firm up his title credentials.