The 23-year-old easily stopped Ivan Balderas in two rounds in his last fight on December 31. That win earned him a shot at the WBA and WBO champion Rene Santiago.

However, after the champion injured his elbow, in stepped former two-time 108-pound champion Carlos Canizales. The two will contest the vacant WBA title on Wednesday at Yokohama Buntai, Yokohama, Japan.

"Facing Rene Santiago was a huge motivation for me, but my main goal has always been to win a world title, so the change of opponent doesn't make a big difference," Kira (4-0, 3 KOs) told The Ring.

"Carlos Canizales is the kind of fighter who can bring out an exciting style of boxing, so I'm really looking forward to this fight.

"I believe Canizales is a very well-rounded fighter. He has power, throws punches in combination with great intensity, is durable, and has excellent ring generalship to win rounds. Overall, I think he's a high-level opponent."

While fighting for a world title so soon in just Kira's fifth fight seems a leap it is something the fighter and his handlers have longed for.

"I have always believed that winning a world title is just the beginning of my journey," he said. "Also, when the opportunity came, I genuinely felt it was a realistic chance that I could achieve."

His promoter Yusuke Ninomiya was keen to further explain.

"I recognized Kira's exceptional talent even before he made his professional debut," he said. "I also felt that it was important for him to showcase that talent on the biggest stage as early as possible.

"Our goal was for him to become the fastest Japanese fighter to win a world title. I initially believed he could challenge for that record in his fourth professional fight, but due to the timing, the opportunity will now come in his fifth fight. If he wins the world title in his fifth professional bout, he will equal the remarkable achievement of Kosei Tanaka.

"For Kira, however, this fight is only a stepping stone. The real challenge will begin after he becomes a world champion."

It is clear Kira has lofty goals and they extend beyond winning a world title.

"My ultimate goal is to become a fighter recognized on the pound-for-pound list," he said. "I believe that becoming a pound-for-pound fighter will require more than just winning world titles.

"While I aim to unify multiple world titles and become a champion in multiple weight classes, I believe the most important thing is to defeat well-known, proven elite fighters. I feel that consistently beating top-level opponents is what will ultimately earn me recognition as one of the best fighters in the world."

Canizales (28-3-1, 20 KOs), who is rated No. 4 by The Ring at junior flyweight, has previously held the WBA and WBC 108-pound titles.

Three-division champion Kenshiro Teraji features among his resume, while most recently avenging a 12-round majority decision to score a fifth-round stoppage of Panya Pradabsri in their two-fight series.