LOS ANGELES – The cards are stacked against Terence Crawford heading into his planned super middleweight super fight in September against Canelo Alvarez, and that’s precisely the way he likes it.

Crawford has to overcome a serious strength disadvantage once he steps into the squared circle against the Mexican superstar. Considering the circumstances, Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) is being pegged as a betting underdog for the first time in his 17-year professional career.

Such is the case when a future Hall of Fame fighter has to move up two-weight classes to challenge a fellow all-time great and four-division champion in Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs).

But simply looking at the tale of the tape, however, Crawford appears to size up well. The 5-foot-8-inch “Bud” will boast a half-inch height advantage and a four-inch reach advantage. Although Crawford is 37, three years older than Alvarez, he has less wear and tear on his body as well, having fought 25 fewer fights and 263 fewer rounds than Alvarez.

“I don't have to stop him. I just have to beat him. I'm not going in there looking to knock Canelo out. Could it happen? Yes, absolutely,” Crawford told The Ring during an extensive and exclusive interview.

“When I look at Canelo, [he’s] a smaller-bigger guy moving up in divisions. Being that these big guys are slower, they might catch him with something but he might see it at the last moment. They might catch him with a hard shot but he's able to roll and turn with it, because he is coming from a smaller weight class that was faster, that was sharper. I am coming from a smaller weight class that was sharper and faster.”

Crawford recently posted a photo of a scale showing that he was 186 pounds. When asked how much he weighed at the moment, Crawford let out a hearty laugh and said 140 pounds.

Crawford started his career in 2008 as a 137-pounder. After winning a lightweight title, he became the undisputed champion at 140 and 147 pounds. He currently carries the WBA’s 154-pound crown after beating Israil Madrimov last summer.

“I've been sparring big dudes my whole career,” said Crawford. “I can't remember the last time I sparred someone my size or smaller than me in a whole training camp. I'm used to sparring these big guys. It's nothing new to me.”

Alvarez kickstarted his career as a 15-year-old 139-pounder in 2005 and has gone on to win titles at 154, 160, 168, and 175 pounds. He can become a two-time undisputed super middleweight champion if he beats William Skull on May 3 in Saudi Arabia.

“If he gets hit with a sharp punch he doesn't see, he's definitely capable of getting hurt,” said Crawford. “He's not a machine. He's human just like me. He bleeds just like me. I'm not going in there thinking, 'Oh, I can't hurt this guy.' But I'm not going in there at the same time trying to knock him out. I'm trying to fight my fight and if the knockout comes and it's there, of course I am going to take it.”