Fernely Feliz Jr. is poised to make a splash in the pros.

The 25-year-old Dominican heavyweight from Danbury, Connecticut faces Stephen Kirnon (2-3-1, 1KO) in a scheduled four-round bout Saturday evening at Crown Reef Resort in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The fight comes seven months after Feliz Jr. reached the pinnacle of his amateur career, winning the National Amateur Championship in the super heavyweight division this past April in Shreveport, Louisiana. He exits as the number-one ranked super heavyweight as he takes his talents to the paid ranks.

“I never thought I’d be getting paid to go to the gym and box,” Feliz said of upcoming pro adventure. “You can do whatever you want to do in life.

“I promise you will love this journey. I wanted something like this because I want to take you on a fun ride. This will be beautiful.”

Feliz hit the ground running as a later starter, not taking up the sport until 2015 after graduating from Danbury High School. The quick transition was hardly a surprise, with boxing in his genes as his father and head trainer Fernely Sr. was a serviceable heavyweight journeyman over the course of his own 15-year pro career. Feliz ended his six-year amateur run with a 30-2 record and the nation’s highest honor at super heavyweight.

"My father is a master of his craft and he’s a role model my whole life,” acknowledges Feliz. “He’s a master. It’s crazy. He knows the game inside and out and he’s the reason I’m here today. All due to my father. Anyone here to support me today is now my family. We are going nowhere but up from here. You will see."

The move to the pros came with his signing a long-term pact with Bulldog Boxing Promotions and veteran fight manager Steven Heid. He also has the support of another local hero in Glover Teixeira, a mixed martial artist based out of nearby Bethel who recently scored an upset win over Jan Blachowicz to claim the UFC Light Heavyweight championship at age 42—the oldest-ever first-time UFC champion in UFC history.

“His journey is so inspiring to everyone," said Feliz. “He gave me my first trunks when I was 7. Watching this man go up and down to finally to reach his goal... I saw how much he struggled. You can only be motivated by someone like him. I’m a strong believer that in order to be great, you have to be around greatness. We push each other. It’s a beautiful thing.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox