Michael Zerafa has waited for his first career title shot ever since he turned pro more than a dozen years ago.

It wasn’t an easy decision to commit to a one-fight delay before he gets the chance to realize his dream but the 31-year-old Australian middleweight viewed it as an investment into his long-term future.

“I’m getting ready to take what’s mine,” Zerafa told BoxingScene.com. “I’ve been training 20 years for this one moment, I’m super excited for the US fight fans to finally see me in action.”

Melbourne’s Zerafa is the mandatory challenger to WBA middleweight titlist Erislandy Lara (29-3-3, 17KOs) and even at the point where his ordered title fight was headed to a purse bid.

A deal was reached prior to reaching that point, where Zerafa agreed to step aside for one fight while Lara defends his belt versus former two-division titlist Danny Garcia (37-3, 21KOs). The fight is tentatively targeted for August 5 but will likely take place later in the summer. Zerafa is due to be prominently featured on the undercard whenever it takes place, likely at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

“Whether it be Lara or Garcia, I’m prepared for both mentally and physically,” said Zerafa, who has won his last four starts.

Zerafa will fight for just the second time in the U.S. His lone other stateside appearance ended in a fifth-round knockout at the hands of then-unbeaten Peter Quillin in September 2015. In fact, he remains winless on the road (0-3 away from Australia) but managed to reposition himself to be in line for both the WBA and IBF belts.

He bowed out of the IBF sweepstakes to instead focus on the WBA strap, whether Lara or Garcia is the owner by the time he challenges for his first major title—which should be one more fight.

“I’m just super grateful for the opportunity and the work my manager Elvis Grant Philipps continues to put in,” noted Zerafa. “I can’t wait to wrap the WBA world title around my waist.”

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