Alejandro Paulino could make a statement at the expense of a well-known fighter once in his shoes.

Paulino will face Toka Kahn Clary this Saturday on Swerve TV from Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut.

At Friday’s weigh-in, Paulino weighed in at 134 pounds. Kahn Clary came in at the lightweight limit of 135 pounds.

Kahn Clary will be a significant step up in opposition for Paulino (18-0, 14 knockouts), who has thus faced modest opposition. Longtime promoter Jimmy Burchfield believes Paulino has the talent to become a contender in the lightweight division. He also believes Kahn Clary’s style could be an obstacle for Paulino.

“Toka Kahn is going to be a tremendous test for Alejandro Paulino,” Burchfield told The Ring. “Kahn has been in there with pound-for-pound great Shakur Stevenson and former world champion Kid Galahad.

“This fight is going to show the world whether Alejandro is ready to graduate from prospect to contender in the lightweight division. We think he has the skills, power and determination to do it. But we’ll all find out tomorrow night at Mohegan Sun Arena and Swerve TV if he really is ready.”

Paulino, a Dominican-born prospect based in nearby New London, knocked out Luis Porozo in the opening round of their Sept. 7 meeting. In his previous fight on March 23, Paulino traded knockdowns with Estivan Falcao en route to a unanimous decision victory.

The 26-year-old fought 15 times this year for the Boston Butchers of the Team Combat League, which ended in late July. Paulino went on to only lose one fight for the Butchers.

Paulino took up boxing at the age of 18 and is managed by Roland Estrada.

Kahn Clary (29-3, 19 KOs) has fought just twice in the past four years.

The 32-year-old Liberian—now based in Providence, Rhode Island—will end a two-year inactive streak. He last fought in November 2022, when he outpointed former title challenger Jonathan Oquendo. His previous outing before that was a ten-round decision defeat to three-division titlist Shakur Stevenson in their Dec. 2020 non-title fight.

Paulino’s team is wise to enter Saturday’s bout with cautious optimism. Kahn Clary dealt the first defeat to a trio of unbeaten prospects in Jose Haro, David Berna, and John Moralde.

Francisco A. Salazar has written for The Ring since October 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. He can be reached at [email protected]

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