Fast-rising Japanese junior lightweight prospect Hayato Tsutsumi is ready to take the next step in his evolution.

An amateur standout, he has caught the eye early on in his career and will face Qais Ashfaq in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia come Aug. 16.

"I'm truly excited to be fighting overseas for the first time," Tsutsumi (7-0, 4 KOs) told The Ring through his promoter Yusuke Ninomiya. "I'm truly grateful to His Excellency Turki and everyone at The Ring Magazine for giving me this opportunity to fight not only in Japan, but also internationally.

"I see this fight as a major opportunity to make my name known worldwide. I want to put on a performance that entertains the local fans and gets people talking."

DAZN PPV will stream the Esports World Cup Fight Week show (£15.99 in the UK; $49.99 in the United States).

However, he is respectful of his opponent and knows he's in with the toughest test to date in his professional career.

"I think he's a very skilled technician with excellent boxing ability," he said. "Having Olympic experience also means he brings a wealth of experience into the ring. I'm really looking forward to facing him."

The 26-year-old is coming off an highly impressive third-round bludgeoning of one-time prospect Jaime Arboleda back in May.

"I prepared with the goal of winning by knockout," he explained. "In the first round, I was cautious of his power, but by the second round, I had adjusted to his timing and rhythm.

"That allowed me to go for the finish in the third round. I was able to knock him down with a punch I had worked on in training, and I felt that I had grown as a fighter."

Tsutsumi, whose younger brother, Reito, is a Ring ambassador and has fought on Ring II and III undercards. This though, is big brother's chance to show he is a force to be reckoned with as well.

"This is a perfect chance for me to make an impression on the global stage, and I fully intend to seize it with a convincing win," he said. "I also hope to catch the attention of global-level fighters.

"This is a crucial fight that I believe can lead to a world title opportunity, so I will aim for a perfect performance and a clear victory."

Ashfaq (13-3-1, 5 KOs) was a good amateur winning silver at the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and then the European Championships the following year and bronze at the European Games. He represented Great Britain at the 2016 Olympics before turning professional two years later.

The now 32-year-old southpaw won his first eight fights before tasting defeat to future British junior featherweight titlist Marc Leach in a 10-round points loss.

A move up in weight followed, though he came up short via 12-round split decision to Liam Dillon for the vacant British junior lightweight strap, before Masood Abdulah's fifth-round finish left him reeling with a two-fight losing streak. His most recent outing was a 10-round draw against Levi Giles on December 7.