If he wanted, Denys Berinchyk could’ve milked his newly won world title.

We’ve seen it before. Fighters have targeted easy opponent after easy opponent while continuing to build their name and brand. That blueprint has been used in the past. Berinchyk though, saw no point in facing the bottom dwellers of the lightweight division.

Fresh off an upset win over Emanuel Navarrete, the 36-year-old will march directly into a showdown against Keyshawn Davis on February 14th.

Overlooking Davis (12-0, 8 KOs) is the last thing on the mind of The Ring’s No. 6 ranked 135-pounder. So, with only a few weeks remaining before their main event takes place, Berinchyk (19-0, 9 KOs) is pushing himself to the limit.

For the former Olympic silver medalist, the world becomes his oyster if he takes out Davis. Matchups with Shakur Stevenson, Vasiliy Lomachenko, or even William Zepeda become both pragmatic and likely.

None of those aforementioned names, however, really move the needle for Berinchyk. Ultimately, there is only one fighter that he would love to jump into the ring with if everything goes according to plan on the 14th.

“Gervonta Davis is better for me,” admitted Berinchyk during an interview with The Toma Todito Boxing Show.

Wanting a piece of Davis (30-0, 28 KOs) isn’t the biggest surprise. Considering his placement on virtually every pound-for-pound list, Davis has become the man to beat in the lightweight division.

Testing himself against someone as dangerous as Davis gets the hairs on the back of Berinchyk’s neck to stand up. But facing a top-tier opponent such as the Baltimore native isn’t the only benefit he sees.

Boxing is a gladiator sport but it’s also a business. From his point of view, one good night at the office against Davis can change his life for the better.

“Big name, belts, huge money, huge event.”