Tsutsumi, who is rated No. 10 by The Ring at junior lightweight, suffered an orbital fracture injury late last year curtailing his involvement in Ring V card when tabbed to meet then-WBA champion Jazza Dickens (36-6, 15 KOs).

Tsutsumi correctly predicted Anthony Cacace (25-1, 9 KOs) would score a decision win over Dickens in their March 14 headliner, becoming a two-time titleholder and is eager to position himself in line for a title shot. At present, he's ranked No. 5 with the WBA, No. 8 in the IBF rankings and 12th in the WBO picture at 130 pounds.

"For this upcoming fight, I think the key challenge is how I can break down and defeat my opponent through my style and performance in the ring," Tsutsumi (8-0, 5 KOs) told The Ring.

"Ideally, I want to control the fight from start to finish, never let my opponent find his rhythm, and finish the fight on my terms."

This appearance will mark the 26-year-old's first back in Japan for 14 months, having stopped Panama's Jaime Arboleda in three rounds as part of the undercard preceding Fernando Martinez-Kazuto Ioka II last May.

"It's been a while since I last fought in Japan, so I'd be happy if I can deliver a performance that makes the fans feel impressed and excited watching the fight," he said.

The hope is that another victory on his return will lead to something more significant next time out.

"I'm aiming toward a world title opportunity," he reaffirmed. "This fight is an important step before a world championship fight, so I want to put on a strong performance and come away with a convincing victory."

The last time we saw Tsutsumi in action, he took apart Qais Ashfaq en route to a third-round stoppage in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as part of the Moses Itauma-Dillian Whyte undercard on August 16.

Junior welterweight prospect Kenshin Yura (5-0, 4 KOs) and junior bantamweight hopeful Kantaro Juri (8-1-2, 2 KOs) are among the fighters set to appear on the undercard.