Three years later, he’ll have to dethrone Fundora if he is going to become the first world champion from Albania. Hadribeaj will challenge Fundora for his WBC 154-pound title Saturday night at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas.

Their 12-round bout will headline a Premier Boxing Champions card DAZN will stream worldwide and TNT and truTV will televise in the United States (8 p.m. ET; 5 p.m. PT).

“He was like my favorite fighter,” Hadribeaj told The Ring of meeting Fundora. “He was tall, aggressive, he fights on the inside, outside – he’s a real world-class fighter. At that time, I was growing up in my career. Sebastian Fundora was champ at that time, and of course, you look up to these kinds of fighters. I really appreciate their work and what they did to deserve those titles.

“So, it was exciting, and we were joking around, ‘Imagine if we fight him one day.’ I was probably meant to meet him on that day, so we can meet on October 17 and fight together.”

Hadribeaj (23-0-1, 8 KOs), The Ring’s No. 9 contender for an unclaimed junior middleweight championship, became the mandatory challenger for Fundora’s title when he beat Bakary Samake by unanimous decision on May 23 in Oberhausen, Germany. While the unknown southpaw was pleased with his performance, Hadribeaj believes he still has more to show in the ring.

In Fundora (24-1-1, 16 KOs), ranked No. 3 in The Ring’s junior middleweight top 10, Hadribeaj believes he has the kind of opponent who will make him show all of the tools he has developed.

“I knew I had more experience than the other guy,” Hadribeaj said regarding his victory over Samake. “I overcame him, and I didn’t even give 100 percent. For me to give 100 percent or more, it has to be against a world-class fighter [like] Fundora. I’m gonna show a lot more in this fight on October 17.”

Fundora, 28, is coming off a dominant sixth-round stoppage of former unified welterweight champion Keith Thurman on March 28 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The 6-foot-6 southpaw, an 18-1 favorite according to DraftKings, will make the fourth defense of his title when he faces the 32-year-old Hadribeaj.

It’s no secret that a win would position Fundora to face the winner of the unification bout between WBA/WBO champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis and IBF titleholder Josh Kelly, who will fight next, perhaps as soon as January. Hadribeaj is hellbent on making sure that if that plan is going to come to fruition, “The Towering Inferno” will have to walk through the fire to do so.

“I’m gonna bring a hell of a fight on that night,” Hadribeaj said. “If it happens for 12 rounds, that means it’s gonna be a real war.”