Armando Resendiz has already upset a former IBF champion who was favored to beat him.

His surprising stoppage of Jarrett Hurd two years ago was supposed to propel Resendiz toward a middleweight title shot. The all-action Mexican instead lost via eighth-round TKO to an emerging Elijah Garcia in his following fight.

A devastated Resendiz didn’t fight for 16 months after losing that brutal battle to Garcia on the Canelo Alvarez-Jermell Charlo undercard in September 2023 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. A rejuvenated Resendiz (15-2, 11 KOs) is thankful that he has been presented with another high-profile opportunity to prove himself May 31 at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino’s Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas.

Caleb Plant, a former IBF 168-pound champion, is a consensus 20-1 favorite to defeat Resendiz in their 12-round super middleweight match. Resendiz understands he must win this Prime Video main event if he is to ever realize the potential his handlers saw before Mexican veteran Marcos Hernandez dropped him in the second round, upsetting him by unanimous decision in September 2021 at The Armory in Minneapolis.

"I know Caleb Plant is a top-level fighter," Resendiz said after a recent workout at trainer Manny Robles' Legendz Boxing gym in Norwalk, California. "He's a former world champion for a reason — he's fast, technical and he's been in there with the best. I respect everything he's accomplished. But I didn't take this fight to just be another name on his resume.

"I've put in the work, I've made the sacrifices and I'm coming in prepared to give him a tough fight. This is the kind of challenge I've always wanted — to go up against the best and prove I belong with the best. He's going to remember my name forever."

Plant (23-2, 14 KOs), of Henderson, Nevada, has lost only to undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez (63-2-2, 39 KOs) and undefeated two-division champ David Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs). The Ashland City, Tennessee, native also has competed at or near the super middleweight limit throughout his 12-year career.

Resendiz has mostly been a super middleweight as well, but Plant has faced a much higher level of opposition overall.

Plant showed some vulnerability during his last fight, though, particularly when another big underdog, Trevor McCumby, dropped him during the fourth round Sept. 14 at T-Mobile Arena. An unfazed Plant displayed grit when he came back to batter McCumby (28-1, 21 KOs) with an array of effective punches and stopped his powerful opponent in the ninth on the Alvarez-Edgar Berlanga undercard.

McCumby’s ability to consistently connect with power punches on Plant has encouraged Resendiz to apply pressure as soon as their fight starts.

"Fans are going to see a fighter who leaves it all in the ring," Resendiz said. "I'm bringing pressure, energy and heart from the opening bell. I'm not coming to back up. I'm coming to bring the fight to him. You're going to see someone who's hungry to win and willing to go through whatever it takes to get the job done. I'm not showing up just to compete. I’m gonna make a statement."