Xander Zayas momentarily became boxing’s youngest male champion last year when he beat Jorge Garcia Perez by unanimous decision for the WBO junior middleweight belt in July.

Zayas (22-0, 13 KOs) is aiming to add to his accolades when he takes on WBA champ Abass Baraou (17-1, 9 KOs) on Saturday in a title unification bout and homecoming in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

“Everybody is used to seeing champions take softer touches for their first defense. But because I’m going back to my island, I needed to do something big and give something special to the fans,” Zayas, 23, said after a recent training session at trainer Javiel Centeno's Sweatbox Boxing Gym in Davie, Florida.

“Baraou is also making his first defense, so we’ll see two young fighters who want to show that big unification fights are still possible. This is the best opportunity of my career. … I want to be the first Puerto Rican to unify titles on the island. That’s really important to me because I want to keep making history and building my legacy."

Top Rank’s Hall of Fame matchmakers have been carefully developing Zayas ever since they signed him as a 16-year-old amateur in 2019.

In the vacant title fight against Perez, Zayas was making his debut as a 12-round fighter after beating Patrick Teixeira, Damian Sosa and Slawa Spomer in 10-rounders in 2024 and last year.

After entertaining facing the more notable knockout artist Vergil Ortiz. The Ring’s No. 1 fighter at 154 pounds, Zayas eventually settled on Baraou.

Although Baraou doesn’t bring worldwide acclaim, he brings world-level talent to the table after handing Yoenis Tellez the first loss for the title he now holds.

“Baraou is a good, aggressive fighter,” said Zayas. “People underestimate him because he’s not well-known in the United States, but I’ve shared the ring with him several times in sparring. I know what he brings, and he knows what I bring, so it’s going to be a big test for both of us on January 31.”

Zayas is rated No. 5 by The Ring at 154, three spots head of Baraou. DraftKings lists Zayas as a minus-360 betting favorite, and Baraou as a plus-265 underdog.

“We’ve prepared for a warrior, someone who won’t stop coming forward,” said Zayas. “We know he’s going to throw a lot of punches. He’s not a better boxer, faster, smarter, or stronger, but he does have a lot of heart.

“I’ve grown so much physically and mentally. I can see it in how I look when I spar, how I feel during training, and how hard I’m pushing myself. It's time to make history.”

Manouk Akopyan is The Ring’s lead writer. Follow him on X and Instagram: @ManoukAkopyan