Lee Selby is dreaming about the bright lights of Las Vegas but admits he would still love a Leeds tear-up with Josh Warrington.
Selby makes his debut on the big American stage in the early hours of Thursday morning when he defends his IBF featherweight crown against Mexican veteran Fernando Montiel in Arizona.
The 28-year-old Welshman knows impressing against a former three-weight world champion could be the pathway to fame and fortune in the United States.
But Selby says the prospect of going into the Leeds backyard of European champion Warrington is something which excites him.
"I want to be a worldwide star and to do that you need the big fights in America," Selby told Press Association Sport.
"But Warrington is still a fight I'd be interested in. He's got a big fan base and the UK fans want it, so it's a lucrative fight.
"I'd fancy fighting there in Leeds with all the crowd. I was up there at one of his fights working for Sky and they were throwing pints of beer at me and calling me all sorts of stuff.
"So I'd love to go up there and knock him out in front of them all.
"I also think it would be an easy fight when you look at people like (Leo) Santa Cruz and (Vasyl) Lomachenko out there in the featherweight division.
"Warrington's no match to them, but it's the same sort of reward money-wise for me."
Selby became world champion in London in May when the rugged Russian Evgeny Gradovich was forced to retire in the eighth round with a cut eye.
He had been expected to make the first defence of his title in his native south Wales, but his decision to link with up Al Haymon, now the major figure in American boxing, has seen him try to make his name across the Atlantic.
"Fighting in Vegas is the dream for any boxer and I want to do that," Selby said.
"I'm not too far away in Phoenix, but it's hardly the bright lights and I've trained harder than ever to make Vegas."
Selby finds himself in a division among the most exciting in boxing with Gary Russell Jr, Santa Cruz and the explosive Ukrainian Lomachenko all holding world belts and he feels Montiel offers a fast route to recognition in America.
The Mexican might be 36 now and a veteran of 60 fights, but he he has won world titles at flyweight, super-flyweight and bantamweight and his last defeat came over four years ago.
"He's a big puncher and I get caught regular in fights, so it should be exciting," Selby said.
"But I believe I am the best featherweight out there and I've got to show that.
"There's some super-fights in this division, it's buzzing, and I want to be the man. If I keep winning, I will be."
Source: PA
