Arturo Cardenas is living by the motto of ‘iron sharpens iron.’

Those words resonate everyday, considering who he has sparred against in recent years.

Cardenas will face Ernesto Garcia Flores Friday night at the Auditorio Guelaguetza in Oaxaca, Mexico. The 10-round junior featherweight bout will precede the main event bout between IBF junior flyweight titleholder Adrian Curiel and Sivenathi Nontshinga (DAZN, 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT).

The 23-year-old Cardenas (12-0-1, 8 knockouts), who resides in Sahuayo de Morelos, Mexico, last fought on December 16, stopping Carlos Mujica in the fourth round. The win over Mujica took place on a Matchroom Boxing card, as is Friday night in Oaxaca.

Cardenas has remained very active, fighting six times in 2023. He fought a mix of different opponents, including former prospect Jose Edgardo Garcia on July 28, whom he knocked out in the fourth round. Cardenas also defeated Alejandro Nicasio Garcia by unanimous decision in a clash of unbeaten fighters.

Over the last several months, Cardenas has trained in Riverside, California. He is trained by Robert Garcia.

Aside from the amount of time he does mitt work with Garcia, and his son, Robert, Jr., Cardenas has sparred against the likes of IBF featherweight titleholder Luis ‘Venado’ Lopez, unified flyweight titleholder Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez, former WBA junior bantamweight titleholder Joshua Franco, and former junior featherweight title challenger Ronny Rios.

Garcia acknowledges Cardenas has improved a lot and has not yet hit his ceiling.

“Arturo Cardenas is a very dedicated kid,” Garcia told The Ring in a recent interview. “(He’s) very hungry to become a world champion and represent (the state of) Michoacan, Mexico as a world champion. He stays in Riverside year-round. He goes to Mexico twice a year to visit his parents and is a very dedicated boxer.

“(This year), he will get closer to the top 10 rankings.”

Friday’s fight will mark Cardenas’ first scheduled 10-round bout.

Garcia, who resides in Zapopan, Mexico, is listed at 11-3, 10 KOs, but reportedly has more victories than what is officially listed on Boxrec.

In his last bout on October 1, the 18-year-old Garcia lost a close unanimous decision to fringe bantamweight contender Jorge Leyva. In his previous fight on July 8, Garcia did notch a knockout win over fringe junior featherweight contender Rashib Martinez Valadez.