Malik Scott says he wanted a fight against Luis Ortiz because of 'King Kong's' reputation as an opponent to be avoided in the heavyweight division.
American Scott recorded impressive back-to-back wins over Alex Leapai and Tony Thompson in his last two outings to set up the Ortiz fight, bouncing back from a first-round loss to Deontay Wilder in March 2014.
Ortiz has been dubbed the most avoided heavyweight on the planet, but Scott believes that a victory, live on Sky Sports on Saturday, can be the springboard to him winning world titles.
"I don't want people to get the wrong end of the stick - I picked to fight Luis Ortiz," said Scott. "People have crowned him as the next king of the heavyweight division, so that's the kind of guy I want.
"Is he the most feared? Anyone will fight him but for the right amount of money. He's a 6ft 4in Cuban southpaw - he's got a hell of a pedigree, he can fight and he's dangerous - but that makes me want to fight him. I gravitate to risks like this, because the rewards out there are huge.
"I went to Australia and beat Leapai, I came home to beat Thompson who had just beat Odlanier Solis, another guy that had been hyped. People said that Thompson would beat me, I gave him a clinic.
"Ortiz is dangerous, but a punch at heavyweight can change everything. He doesn't know what it's like to sit on the shelf and wait for a fight, get messed around by opponents. I am just as hungry as he is."
Watch Luis Ortiz, Jamie McDonnell, Stephen Smith and Martin Murray in Monte Carlo this Saturday, starting at 7pm on Sky Sports 2.