Joe Cordina is preparing for his first world title defence by saying it will take a “special fighter” to beat him.

Cordina is expecting a tough fight but believes he is a level above 28-year old American Vazquez.

“To beat me, you need to be a special fighter and unfortunately for him, I don’t think he’s got that bit extra that you need,” Cordina said.

A title defence 519 days in the making

A decorated former amateur star, Cordina is making up for lost time in a professional career stalled by a series of hand injuries.

He will be defending his title for the first time, 519 days after he initially became world champion.

He captured the IBF title with a stunning knockout victory over Kenichi Ogawa in Cardiff in June 2022.

But he then had to relinquish it as he recovered from surgery on a serious hand injury that has blighted his pro career, before winning the title back in April with an extremely hard-fought split-decision win over Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov.

As he seeks to defend that title, the unbeaten Welshman believes he will be too talented for Vazquez, who has a record of 15 wins and one defeat.

“This fight is not one I was looking for, I wanted a unification fight, but that couldn’t happen, we couldn’t do that and so we were trying to get the best deal we could for us,” Cordina told BBC Sport Wales.

“We decided to go with Edward Vazquez. He’s a tough fighter and competitor and I know he is going to bring it, because this is a big opportunity for him.

“My plan is to secure the future of my family and to be involved in massive money fights.

“If I can’t get past Vazquez, then those big fights are not there. The money fights that will secure my kids’ futures – they aren’t there.

“So that is why every fight means so much to me. When it comes to my kids, I will do anything and if it means getting down to dig in, like I had to do in my last fight, then I will.”

A showdown in Cardiff or Nottingham?

Cordina is aware that there are several potential lucrative fights for him if he overcomes Vazquez, who is a big underdog.

WBC belt holder O’Shaquie Foster – who defended his title last weekend with a TKO victory over Eduardo Hernandez – has already called out Cordina, who says he is willing to fight anyone for the right price.

“O’Shaquie Foster is in the background, but I’m not sure he is a big money fight,” Cordina said.

An intriguing option for UK fight fans is a match-up with Leigh Wood.

The 35-year old is set to move up a division after his stunning knockout win against Josh Warrington, relinquishing his WBA title.

Cordina says he would like to face Wood, who wants his next fight to be in his home city, at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground.

“I think the biggest fights are either Emanuel Navarrete or Leigh Wood, who has just come up to my division, they are the big fights that can secure my future,” Cordina said.

“Wood is interesting, but if they want me to fight him at the City Ground, then they will have to pay me a very large sum of money.

“I want to fight at my city ground, the Cardiff City Stadium.

“We haven’t really talked about the next fight, because I’ve got to get Saturday out of the way.

“But Leigh Wood is a fight that tickles my fancy. It would be a massive fight for the UK.”