Cruising past an overmatched opponent didn't interest him, nor did his team look for the path of least resistance back to the top table.

Collins (17-1-1, 8 KOs) will fight the dangerous European champion Liam Davies (18-1, 9 KOs) at Birmingham’s bp pulse LIVE on September 26.

Following defeat by Lorente in their April rematch, Collins might have wondered when his next major opportunity would arrive. The 29-year-old Scot knows that a victory over Davies places him back in world title contention.

“I'm above that level now to build myself back up, be in soft touch fights or be in the rebuilding phase,” Collins said during Tuesday’s launch press conference.

“I've been doing it for a long time. I think I've been in title fights since my sixth or seventh fight. I’m going into my 20th fight so even though I'm still young enough, there's no rebuilding stage. You need to just stay at this level.”

In October 2025, Collins and Lorente battled to a hard-fought split draw at Glasgow’s Braehead Arena. A rematch was as inevitable as it was necessary, renewing hostilities on April 19 but with an even more frustrating outcome.

Collins wasn’t his usual energetic self second time around and the Spaniard survived a sixth-round knockdown before boxing his way to a deserving split decision win.

Coming so close yet ending further away from a world title shot was a crushing disappointment, though the former British champion is an upbeat character. He quickly dusted himself down and got back to work.

He and Davies sparred plenty of rounds working up through the ranks and both men have spoken with excitement about the chance to put themselves back in the world title picture.

“It wasn’t to be in my last fight, a fight that probably didn't need to happen,” he said.

“I felt like I won that first fight but it is what it is. A lot of people who watched that last fight knew that I wasn’t myself in there but I don't need to go too much into detail with that. This is a brilliant fight.

“Me and Liam, we know each other pretty well so I'm really looking forward to it. It’s one that gives you the fire in your belly again and it's going to be a cracker.”