MANALAPAN, N.J. — Fresh off his first ten-round stint, bantamweight contender Dominique Crowder says he’s ready now to step up to twelve rounds.

The 29-year-old from Baltimore is coming off a win over his most experienced opponent to date, a unanimous decision over Kenny Demecillo on August 5 to win the WBA International bantamweight belt, and expects to enter the WBA’s top ten rankings when the next set of ratings are released. Going the distance, he says, makes him feel more like a true professional, but he’s already looking forward to bigger challenges.

“If it’s up to me I want to go to Japan next but I know it don’t work like that,” said “Dimes” Crowder (16-0, 10 knockouts) about his interest in challenging WBA bantamweight titleholder Takuya Inoue (18-1, 4 KOs). “Hopefully I can get a title eliminator or something like that to keep me busy and get me closer to my goal of winning a world title.”

Inoue, 27, of Yokohama, Japan won one of the belts his older brother Naoya vacated on April 8, defeating Liborio Solis by unanimous decision. The win came in his second shot at a title after previously losing a decision to then-WBC titleholder Nordine Oubaali in 2019.

“That’s the matchup I’m dreaming about. If I can get that next, I want to do that next. We have about the same amount of fights but he might have a little bit more experience than me but I would love to go to Japan and take on that big mission,” said Crowder, who has a height advantage over virtually everyone at 118 pounds at 6-foot.

Before that, Crowder is set to celebrate his biggest win yet with a reception this Wednesday, August 23 at APJ Boxing Club in his adopted hometown of Poughkeepsie, N.Y. The ceremony starts at 6 p.m.

Crowder, who is trained by Jose Luis Guzman and former world champion Mark Breland, is resting after his longest pro bout yet and reflecting on the experience gained in the Demecillo fight.

“I learned a lot in that fight. Kenny has a lot of experience,” said Crowder. “I actual preferred going ten rounds with him than just knocking him out because I’m getting to that level where I’m gonna need those rounds and the experience when I’m going up against world champions.”