Ennis is baffled by some of Zayas’ criticism, most notably that the versatile offensive fighter is flat-footed. He cannot wait to prove to the unbeaten WBA/WBO 154-pound champion that he and his team made a huge matchmaking mistake by selecting Ennis over opponents the Philadelphia native is certain Zayas would’ve had a far better chance to beat.

Zayas was calm and confident Thursday, too. The native Puerto Rican is convinced Ennis is overrated – not the unbeatable unicorn his promoter, Eddie Hearn, would have you believe.

Zayas, 23, is The Ring’s No. 3 junior middleweight contender. Ennis, who turned 29 on Friday, is ranked No. 5.

Zayas, who weighed in at 153.8 pounds Friday, is still a decided underdog because Ennis is generally regarded as one of the most talented boxers in the sport.

Ennis, who came in at 153, has less than one round of experience in this division. He has still repeatedly predicted he will knock out Zayas, a technically skilled boxer who has proven to be durable.

Xander Zayas: “I think I do everything above everybody. And I feel like I always make the adjustments, and that’s what great fighters do. I’m not gonna sit here and take away credit from what he is as a fighter. He’s a great fighter, and I’ve always said it. And Saturday night, I will prove why I’m better than him.”

Jaron Ennis: “Just make sure y’all tune in on Saturday night. That’s all I’m gonna say, man. All the fans, supporters, everybody that’s gonna be in the building, don’t get up to get no food, don’t get up to get no popcorn. Stay in y’all seat and don’t blink. Please, don’t blink. Oh my God.”

The picks are in from The Ring’s Mike Coppinger and Max Kellerman. Think you can beat them? Predict winners for prizes.

DraftKings listed Ennis as a 5-1 favorite (-500) to defeat Zayas (+300) on Friday. The odds on Ennis winning by knockout, technical knockout or disqualification are +100. The odds on Zayas winning by those same outcomes are +1000. The odds on their bout resulting in a draw are +1600.

Junior welterweight Emiliano Vargas (17-0, 14 KOs), The Ring’s reigning “Prospect of the Year,” and British light heavyweight contender Ben Whittaker (11-0-1, 8 KOs) are heavily favored “A” sides against Bryce Mills (22-1, 9 KOs) and Richard Rivera (27-2, 20 KOs), respectively.

The first fight on the main part of the show, though, figures to be the most competitive on the undercard. Middleweight contenders Jahi Tucker (16-1-1, 7 KOs), a Brooklyn native, and the Dominican Republic’s Euri Cedeno (14-0-1, 12 KOs) will square off in a high-stakes, 160-pound elimination match.

The 23-year-old Tucker suffered an upset majority-decision defeat to Nicklaus Flaz in December 2023, but he has won his way back into championship contention.

Cedeno, 26, represented his country at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Tucker, however, is the strong southpaw’s most credible opponent in 16 professional fights.

Subscribers to DAZN’s Ultimate plan have access to the four-fight main portion of the Zayas-Ennis card for no additional charge. It costs $49.99 monthly in the United States and £24.99 in the United Kingdom.

Those four fights are also available via DAZN Pay-Per-View to non-subscribers for $74.99 in the U.S. and £24.99 in the UK.

The main part of the card is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET (1 a.m. BST). Preliminary action will begin at 6:15 p.m. ET (11:15 p.m. BST).