Barboza (32-1, 11 KOs) and Sims (22-3, 8 KOs) are both coming off losses and are set to make their welterweight debuts, and the winner will get one step closer to being considered a suitable candidate for a title shot in a fast-evolving division.

“Sims presents a big challenge in a new weight class,” Barboza told The Ring. “This is going to be a really tough fight, but I feel like I am going to be stronger, faster, and bigger. Not a lot of people take a fighter like Sims after a loss, so I needed to take a tough fight to get in the welterweight race.”

Barboza got a taste of being a champion in February 2025 when he beat Jack Catterall for the WBO junior welterweight title. The career-best win came after Barboza beat former unified champion Jose Ramirez in November 2024.

But Barboza bit off more than he could chew when he suffered his first defeat – a one-sided unanimous decision – in the following fight against Teofimo Lopez in May. The Lopez fight was Barboza’s fifth in 16 months, and the Los Angeles native said the incredible activity proved to be too much.

“My body never got to rest, and I had a really bad weight cut for the Teo fight. I'm not in my twenties anymore," said Barboza, a 34-year-old father of four. “Beating Catterall and Ramirez outside of the country boosted my confidence a lot and showed that I belong at the top level. But taking on too many fights in a short span definitely played a role in my performance against Lopez.

"I barely had any rest between my last two fights, but I couldn't pass up on the opportunity because it wouldn't have been there again. We asked to be active. We just didn't know it was going to be this active.”

Barboza said he’s back to being 100% after a 10-month break and promised he had a solid training camp in Big Bear, California.

“I'm ready to make another run in a new division,” said Barboza. “Sims is a really good fighter, and a tremendous fighter, to be honest. He can do a lot of everything – counter, be aggressive, fight on the inside and outside. He poses a big threat. But I'm also really sharp, and I can do everything he does. I'm ready to set the pace and set the tone to handle everything he brings.

“This is a very big fight for both of us. Sims is in a similar situation, coming off a loss, and we're at the point in our careers where we need to show up to see who's going to the next level. I've been at the top before, and now I need to remind everyone.”

Barboza is coming in as a slight betting underdog against Sims but hopes a resounding win sets him up for an immediate title shot against WBC welterweight champion and Golden Boy promotional stablemate Ryan Garcia.

“Hopefully Golden Boy can make that fight happen,” said Barboza. “Ryan Garcia has big plans, but those fights he’s going after may be harder to make than ours. I'm a thousand percent ready to fight him. A lot of the other guys are tied up, so the opportunity could be right there.”

Garcia beat Mario Barrios for the WBC title last month and plans to fight again in July. Barboza could become an attractive opponent if Garcia doesn’t want to wait for a potential end-of-year showdown against division top players Devin Haney and Rolando Romero, who appear headed for a May 30 fight against each other.

Barboza said he’ll be ready for Garcia’s summer slot, especially since he’s not coming in off a grinding run.

Barboza’s vision isn’t far-fetched, either. Sims was beaten by Oscar Duarte in his last fight in August, and Duarte leveraged the competitive majority decision victory to a title fight against IBF champion Richardson Hitchins that was ultimately scrapped on fight night when Hitchins fell ill.

“The Ryan Garcia fight is definitely a possibility and one that interests me a lot,” said Barboza. “We'll see. The welterweight division is getting more stacked by the day, and I am excited to be in the mix.

“There are different decks of cards being shuffled every week, and a fight against Garcia depends on the deck that will eventually be shuffled. I have to wait and see where my opportunity will land.

“Beating someone like Sims should get me in position for a title shot and another big name. I've had to earn everything in my career; nothing was given to me. I plan on earning everything at welterweight as well.”