Former two-division world champion Hekkie Budler of South Africa expressed confidence on Sept. 12 in his challenge to World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association light flyweight champion Kenshiro Teraji of B.M.B. Boxing Gym for the latter’s titles in the ‘’Prime Video Presents Live Boxing 5’’ event on Sept. 18 at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena.

Speaking before a group of reporters at Teiken Boxing Gym, the 35-year-old Budler, who was a former WBA minimumweight and International Boxing Federation and WBA light flyweight champion, said he is determined to fight beyond himself so that he can win world titles again.’’

This is the third time for Budler to visit Japan as he said he was able to get over jetlag in one day after arriving in the country on Sept. 10, adding he spent 15 weeks of basic physical fitness training and eight weeks of training camp particularly for his fight with Teraji back in his country. Budler said he has been training at the gym with refreshing feeling.

Budler retained the minimumweight title five times and won the IBF and WBA light flyweight title in May 2018 from Ryoichi Taguchi of Watanabe Boxing Gym with a unanimous decision. After relinquishing the IBF title, Budler lost the WBA title to Taguchi’s stablemate Hiroto Kyoguchi in his first title defense in December that year.

But Budler has continued to fight and got the opportunity to challenge Teraji by decisioning former world minimumweight kingpin Elwin Soto of Mexico in June last year in a title elimination bout.

In this connection, Budler’s trainer Colin Nathan told the reporters that Budler today is different from the Budler five years ago as he has got experience and has stronger physical strength and punching power.

Asked about his impression of Teraji, Budler said he has watchful eyes for him in every aspect because Teraji is an all-arounder.

The right-handed Budler, currently ranked fourth in the division by the WBA and first by the WBC, did a short time of skipping rope and about three minutes of hitting the mitt with a southpaw style.

Kenta Kato, who is a trainer at Misako gym and has been serving as Teraji’s trainer for long, said, ‘’He is taller than I thought. He is calm and stable because he was a two-division world champion.’’

The 31-year-old Teraji, who is making his second defense of the WBA title and his third of the WBC crown, has a record of 21 wins, including 13 KOs, against a loss, while Budler has a 35-4 win-loss tally with 11 KOs.

The Teraji-Budler bout will serve as the main event of the Sept. 18 event.

Other major fights in the event will include the World Boxing Organization super flyweight title match between champion Junto Nakatani of M.T Boxing Gym and sixth-ranked challenger Argi Cortes of Mexico and an eight-round super bantamweight bout between popular kick-boxer turned Tenshin Nasukawa of Teiken Boxing Gym and Mexican bantamweight champion Luis Guzman.