Now ranked No. 5 in his weight class by the International Boxing Federation, Julius “the Chef” Jackson (19-0) will be a contender for No. 1 if he wins his bout Tuesday against Mexico’s Jose Uzcategui (23-1).
“He’s a tough opponent, a tough guy, and he’s hard to stop,” Jackson recently said of Uzcategui. “He has only had one loss and he’s a strong fighter. He likes to come at you, but he can box too, so I’m expecting a tough fight, which I have definitely been wanting.”
The two will headline a Premier Boxing Champions Toe-to-Toe Tuesdays fight card on Fox Sports 1 from San Antonio, Texas, and Jackson said this week that he’s ready to be in the spotlight again.
For the few past months, Jackson has been training both in the territory and away, and has won at least his last nine fights.
“I’m excited to get back in the ring and be the star of the show, but I realize that this won’t be easy,” Jackson said. “But I think I’ll be able to find him and maybe stop him in a later round and bring back the win.”
The bout is slated for 12 rounds.
Jackson said if he emerges as the winner, he will be facing off against the IBF’s No. 1 super middleweight champion, James DeGale (21-1.)
“It’s a big fight, but that’s what I’m looking for next,” Jackson said. “And after I get the win, I’ll be looking out for that call.”