By Steve Kim

As part of the HBO pay-per-view broadcast this Saturday night from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, featherweight hopeful Oscar Valdez faces former IBF world champion Evgeny Gradovich in what is considered a step-up fight. It's also one that will be the biggest stage that the unbeaten Valdez (18-0, 16 KO's) will have stepped onto as a professional.

The card will be headlined by the welterweight trilogy fight between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley.

But for the past several years Valdez - a two-time Mexican Olympian - has been a regular presence on the bigger Top Rank cards. In many ways he's been prepared for such a platform.

"Oh yeah, actually ever since I was an amateur I've been fighting in great spots and now it's the professionals," said the 25-year old Valdez.

"It doesn't bother me or give me extra pressure fighting on a big stage like this because at the end of the day it's just me and my opponent inside the ring looking to battle it off. So it doesn't really matter the stage for me. I'm prepared for anything."

In Gradovich he is facing an experienced pro who has world championship experience.

"I know Gradovich is a tough fighter, he's a very aggressive fighter. He doesn't like to take no rest, at all. He doesn't let his opponents breathe so that's the type of fighter he is,"opined Valdez, who hopes to fight for a major belt by the end of 2016.

"He's aggressive, he's a Robert Garcia style fighter, no quit, but that's the good thing about this fight, his style and my style are going to be a perfect match."

Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com.