Ford feels like he isn’t the favorite against Foster. The southpaw from Camden, New Jersey, also had the same feeling when he pulled off the most impressive win of his career, a come-from-behind 12th-round stoppage of Otabek Kholmatov to win the then-vacant WBA featherweight title in 2024.

“I actually feel like an underdog,” Ford said on the latest episode of "Inside The Ring," which aired Monday on DAZN. "I felt like an underdog with Kholmatov too, but this fight, I'm really feeling it, because it's a lot of eyes on this fight. I really feel like an underdog, and that's how I've been training.”

Ford’s win over Kholmatov was The Ring’s 2024 Fight of the Year. Ford (18-1-1, 8 KOs) trailed 106-103 on two of the three judges’ scorecards entering the final round, and with just over 30 seconds left, he badly hurt Kholmatov with a right uppercut. Ford stayed on the attack, and after Kholmatov ran into a corner trying to get away from him, referee Charlie Fitch stopped the fight with seven seconds left.

Ford, The Ring’s No. 6-ranked junior lightweight, lost the belt by split decision in his first title defense against Nick Ball. He moved up to 130 pounds after the loss and has gone 3-0, with his last win being a unanimous decision victory over Abraham Nova in August.

Foster (24-3, 12 KOs), 32, is The Ring’s No. 2-ranked junior lightweight. The Houston native is coming off a dominant unanimous decision victory over former two-division champion Stephen Fulton on December 6.

With the challenge that Foster presents, Ford said his preparation has been on par with other training camps that have led to some of his best performances.

“I definitely believe it's one of those camps,” Ford said. “I've had a few camps that I was really focused, dedicated, and worked hard, but I feel like this is, if not better, it's definitely up there, or the same level as my other camps I had that were good. It's a lot at stake. I'm going in there to be victorious and look great doing it.”