LAS VEGAS – Lester Martinez hasn’t encountered an opponent as dangerous as Christian Mbilli in a fight that counted on his record.

Sparring with Terence Crawford for the past three years, however, has helped make the hungry Guatemalan as confident as possible entering the difficult fight that will make or break Martinez’s career Saturday night. Martinez (19-0, 16 KOs) will challenge Montreal’s Mbilli (29-0, 24 KOs) for his WBC interim super middleweight title on the Canelo Alvarez-Crawford undercard at Allegiant Stadium.

One of the most important lessons Martinez learned from training with Crawford was that he needed to be meaner in the ring. Martinez has honed that skill while working with the same team that trains Crawford and believes it will serve him well when he meets Mbilli in what figures to be an all-action, 10-round fight Netflix will stream worldwide to more than 300 million subscribers.

“It’s a great experience being on this team, training with him, doing what he does,” Martinez told The Ring. “I’m living the dream. And I’ve learned lots of things, lots of good things and lots of things about being mean as well.

"What I learned is you’ve gotta beat up everyone that you’re in with. You’ve gotta learn how to be a bad person in the ring. Outside, you can be a good person. But inside, you have to be a bad guy.”

Crawford’s nastiness and killer instinct are among the strengths that have made the four-division champion one of the best boxers of his generation. The Omaha, Nebraska, native is one of sport’s most ferocious finishers and has encouraged Martinez to do the same when he hurts opponents.

Martinez, 29, and Crawford, 37, sparred many rounds in Las Vegas, Colorado Springs and Omaha in preparation for their fights Saturday night.

“There’s been a lot of good sparring, a lot of things that we’ve done,” Martinez said. “There’s been times when he pressures me or I pressure him. But I’m very content and happy with the work that we’ve done. It’s helped me so much that I can tell you confidently that all that experience, you’re going to see it in my next fight.”

Martinez also expects Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) to beat Alvarez (63-2-2, 39 KOs) in their 12-round fight for the Mexican legend’s Ring, IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO 168-pound crowns.

“He’s gonna win,” Martinez said. “He could win by knockout or by points. No matter what fashion it’s gonna be a great fight. I have a lot of faith in him. I’ve seen him train, and we’ve sparred together. He’s going to win, and I’m going to win, too.”

Even though they’ve developed a friendship, Martinez didn’t rule out a fight with Crawford during his interview session Wednesday at Fontainebleau Las Vegas. Brian McIntyre, who trains Crawford and Martinez, was seated nearby and smiled when Martinez mentioned challenging Crawford.

“Listen, I’m at 168,” a grinning Martinez said as he pointed in McIntyre’s direction. “I win this fight, I want to be the challenger for the undisputed title. So, yes, I can end up facing anyone. I can face Terence Crawford, yes, because he’s one of the greatest fighters in the world.”