Of the many fights Mielnicki attended there as a kid, Williams-Lara is the one he remembers most. He recalls walking to the fight as a 9 year old with a hot dog in hand as fans asked for tickets. The experience inspired him. One of his dreams in boxing was to headline a card at the iconic venue one day.

On Saturday, that will become a reality when he faces Omar Ulises Huerta at Boardwalk Hall in a 10-round middleweight bout in the main event of a ProBox card.

“To be a part of an event, it's definitely like a dream come true,” Mielnicki said to The Ring. “It's hard to put into words what it really means. I grew up going to the boardwalk. I grew up going to the beach, and now, to see my face on the big screen on the boardwalk, it's a blessing. I'm just excited to put on a show.”

Mielnicki (22-1, 13 KOs) is ranked No. 5 (WBO) and ninth (IBF and WBC). The 23-year-old has won 14 of his last 15 fights, with the exception being a no-contest against Connor Coyle in February 2025.

Mielnicki’s lone defeat was a majority decision against James Martin in an eight-round bout in 2021. He sees that setback as a blessing in disguise.

“That was the best thing that could have happened to me,” Mielnicki said. “A lot of people think I'm crazy when I say that, but it's the truth. As a young kid, I was [fighting on] some of the biggest stages [and] on some of the biggest platforms. I was one of the most active fighters throughout the pandemic and got a little complacent. ... Watching that fight is one of the hardest things for me.

“I know it's not how I truly fight, but it was the best thing that could have happened to me at the time. It's just another part of what shaped me into the fighter that I am today.”

Mielnicki is coming off a ninth-round stoppage of Samuel Nmomah in November in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Since then, he signed with Sampson Lewkowicz, who also promotes WBC light heavyweight champion David Benavidez, WBC 154-pound champion Sebastian Fundora and undisputed flyweight champion Gabriela Fundora.

In Huerta (15-0-1, 13 KOs), Mielnicki is facing someone who has fought exclusively in Mexico and only has 12 wins against fighters with more wins than losses. The San Diego native is coming off a split draw against Antonio Barajas Arballo (9-10-1, 1 KO) a year ago.

Mielnicki isn’t far off from landing a significant bout with where he’s ranked in a wide-open middleweight division. If all goes according to plan, he hopes he could land that fight or even a world title shot by the end of this year.

“The middleweight division, it's on the rise,” he said. “I feel like there's a lot of younger guys that are coming up, but I think it's also calling for a name. I think it's calling for a face, and maybe an American to swoop in and take over.

“I'm looking to be that guy. I know that there's a lot of opportunities within the division as of right now. Obviously, my sole focus is on [Saturday]. I’m not looking past that, but God willing, within this year, things open up, and hopefully I can receive a phone call after I handle business.”