Based on Berlanga’s undeniable need for a confidence boost in his first fight since Hamzah Sheeraz stopped him a year ago, Butler also believes Berlanga and the 29-year-old contender’s team made a matchmaking mistake they’ll regret come Sunday night.

“It was a very stupid decision by him and his team,” Butler told The Ring. “But we asked for the fight. He didn’t ask to fight me. My manager, Camille Estephan, asked for the fight. Berlanga took one week and a half before he responded. He took the fight because there were no other opponents available. I don’t think it was a good idea.”

Montreal’s Butler (38-5-1, 32 KOs) has lost by knockout or technical knockout five times since he turned pro 12 years ago. He is a dangerous puncher, however, who intends to exploit Berlanga’s defensive deficiencies in a 10-round super middleweight match Paramount+ will stream as the main event of “Zuffa Boxing 09” from Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York (9 p.m. ET).

Brooklyn’s Berlanga (23-2, 18 KOs) will fight for the first time since Sheeraz knocked him down twice in the fourth round and won the main event of “The Ring III” by fifth-round TKO in July 2025 at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York.

Berlanga was a slight favorite to defeat England’s Sheeraz (23-0-1, 19 KOs), who went on to win the vacant WBO super middleweight title when he stopped Germany’s Alem Begic (29-1-1, 23 KOs) in the second round of his next match May 23 in Giza, Egypt. Butler still wasn’t surprised Sheeraz beat Berlanga in such fantastic fashion.

“Berlanga is a basic boxer,” Butler said. “If you know boxing, you’re gonna tell me I’m better than Berlanga in all aspects of boxing. I have a better IQ, better speed, a better jab, better power, better everything. You know, he had a good choice of opponents when he started his career. They created him like he was a superstar, but he’s not. He’s not that guy. And I’m gonna show you July 26th that I’m better than him in all aspects of boxing.”

Butler credits Berlanga, a 4-1 favorite in their bout, and his handlers for maneuvering him into high-profile fights that have made him a multimillionaire. At this point, though, Butler considers it fairly obvious that the 16 first-round knockouts Berlanga recorded to start his pro career was not reflective of his opponent’s overall ability.

“It was good matchmaking,” Butler said. “I give the credit to his promoter, his manager and the people who were working behind the scenes because now he’s rich. He made [millions] with Canelo and he made [money] before this fight. He’s a success. I don’t [deny] this. I give him his credit and some respect, but if he has this, I deserve this, too.”

Butler, 30, has won four fights in a row, each by knockout or TKO, since another fighter from Montreal, Patrice Volny, stopped him in the ninth round of their June 2024 bout at Casino de Montreal. His winning streak began once Butler moved up from the middleweight limit of 160 pounds to the super middleweight maximum of 168.

“I think I’ve progressed every fight,” Butler said. “I feel myself more comfortable at 168. I’m there for four fights and I’ve won four fights by knockout. I think it’s the beginning of a new start for me at 168 and will present an opportunity to get back to a world title fight.”