Foster said he’s sought a bout with Navarrete and that if it doesn’t happen next, he’ll likely move up in weight. Foster holds the WBC 130-pound title, while Navarrete is the IBF and WBO champion.

“It would have to be like next,” Foster told The Ring. “I've tried to get Navarrete a lot of times now, so the time is now. If we can't make it now, then I don't see the reason to stay around 130 if I can't get the unifications.”

Navarrete (40-2-1, 33 KOs), The Ring’s No. 1-ranked junior lightweight and pound-for-pound No. 10, became unified champion with a dominant 11th-round stoppage of Eduardo Nunez on February 28. If the 31-year-old Navarrete and Foster (25-3, 12 KOs), No. 2-ranked junior lightweight, meet next, The Ring's new 130-pound champion could be crowned.

Anthony Cacace (25-1, 9 KOs) is the other titleholder with the WBA belt and is The Ring’s No. 3-ranked junior lightweight.

Foster, 32, of Orange, Texas, began his second reign with the WBC title by winning a majority decision against Raymond Ford on May 30. After a close first six rounds, Foster thoroughly outboxed Ford (18-2-1, 8 KOs), The Ring’s No. 6-ranked junior lightweight, to pull away in the second half.

After the fight, Foster and Shakur Stevenson went face-to-face in the ring and had to be separated by security. Stevenson, who is The Ring’s No. 3-ranked fighter and holds the Ring and WBO 140-pound title, was in attendance to support Ford.

While facing and beating Navarrete would cement Foster as the best 130-pounder in the world, settling his grudge with Stevenson, which dates back to their sparring sessions more than five years ago, is far more appealing to him.

“I knew he was gonna be mad,” Foster said of the altercation with Stevenson. “I beat his son. He did all that trying to help him. Him and his people, they did all that trying to help him to beat me, and I just showed him where my greatness is at.

“I think all them emotions he got, I think it's because he's scared now. I think he knows that the walls is closing in, and that the fans and the world is gonna be asking for that fight now, and now he's gonna have to show the world. They're gonna find out the real him.”