ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey – Ray Ford figures his 10-round points victory over Thomas Mattice on Saturday night was a microcosm of his methodical move toward a title shot in the 130-pound division.

The former WBA featherweight champion realizes that his skill set presents issues that might make junior lightweight titleholders choose other opponents until one of them doesn’t have that option. In fact, Ford is fairly certain he won’t get a shot at a 130-pound title until he ascends to the position of mandatory challenger for the IBF, WBA, WBC or WBO.

“Hopefully, you know, it’ll move me up to better spots in the sanctioning bodies,” Ford told The Ring of beating Mattice. “Hopefully, I can get a number one spot or something like that, number two. I just wanna apply pressure to these world champions, so I can get them in the ring with me.”

Ford (17-1-1, 8 KOs), a southpaw from Camden, New Jersey, shut out Cleveland’s Mattice (22-5-1, 17 KOs) by the same score, 100-90, on each card. A disappointed Ford preferred a knockout, yet his convincing victory on the Jaron Ennis-Eimantas Stanionis undercard at Boardwalk Hall should help him move up in the rankings, though maybe not high enough to land a title shot in his next fight.

Ford entered the ring Saturday night as the fifth-ranked contender for the IBF’s vacant championship, the WBA’s fifth-rated challenger for Lamont Roach’s belt, the WBC’s fourth-ranked contender for O’Shaquie Foster’s crown and the WBO’s No. 8 challenger for Emanuel Navarrete’s championship.

The Ring didn’t rank Ford among its top 10 contenders for its unclaimed junior lightweight championship before he met Mattice. Combined with his IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO rankings, Ford understands he must remain busy if he is to force his way into a championship bout.

“It’s not really frustrating,” Ford said. “I only fought [twice] after losing my title. But I just understand people are not gonna be willing to fight me. It’s a tough fight for anybody. So, they’re not gonna be willing to get up in there with me. Imma have to, you know, make my way to the number one spot, more than likely, and then go from there.”

Ford has beaten Mattice and Puerto Rican veteran Orlando Gonzalez (23-3, 13 KOs) unanimously in 10-rounders since he lost his WBA 126-pound championship to Nick Ball. England’s Ball (22-0-1, 13 KOs) edged Ford by split decision in their 12-round bout on the Deontay Wilder-Zhilei Zhang undercard last June 1 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

His previous win, a comeback stoppage of Otabek Kholmatov late in the 12th round last March 2, was voted The Ring’s “Fight of the Year” for 2024. Ford, who was down on two scorecards through 11 rounds, won the WBA featherweight title by beating Uzbekistan’s Kholmatov (12-1, 11 KOs) that night at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.