Andres Cortes hopes to make a name for himself in a very crowded and talented 130-pound division.

A win over a former world title challenger could go a long way.

Cortes will face Abraham Nova tonight at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas in Cortes’ hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada. The 10-round bout will precede the main event bout between WBO world featherweight titleholder Rafael Espinoza and challenger Sergio Chirino.

Both fights will stream live on ESPN+ (7 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. PT).

At Thursday’s weigh-in, Cortes (21-0, 12 knockouts) weighed in at 130.8 pounds. Only Nova, who came in at 129.7 pounds, will be eligible to win the vacant NABO junior welterweight title.

Nova (23-2, 16 KOs), also fought on the same February 16 card, losing by split-decision to WBC world titleholder O’Shaquie Foster. Nova’s other defeat, a knockout in round five, came at the hands of Robeisy Ramirez in June 2022.

Cortes understands the magnitude of the fight, as he is not overlooking Nova.

“I believe this will be the most difficult fight of my career,” said Cortes earlier this week. “Nova has fought for a world title already and knows what it’s like to fight at the championship level. I must break him down and make adjustments. My brother (Luis) has a perfect game plan that we’ve been working on and I will follow instructions as the fight goes on.

“This has been one of my better training camps as I was fully focused on executing the game plan for Nova during all sparring sessions.”

Nova has previously been rated in The Ring’s top 10 at 130 pounds.

Cortes stopped once-beaten Bryan Chevalier in the fourth round of his last bout on February 16. In his previous fight on July 28, Cortes won after the seventh round after Xavier Martinez remained on his stool in a close fight.

The 26-year-old has demonstrated more power and aggression in recent fights, having stopped five of his last seven opponents.

Cortes, who sparred Gervonta Davis during the amateur ranks, has fought under the Top Rank banner since July 2020. He has previously been signed by Mayweather Promotions.

An impressive win over Nova could open more doors for Cortes, who is already ranked No. 2 by the WBO.

“A win puts me in the position to fight for a world title so this will be the turning point of my career,” said Cortes. “A victory will solidify me as one of the best fighters in the junior lightweight division.

“More opportunities will come my way with a win.”