By Edward Chaykovsky
IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (17-0, 17KOs) has no problem with facing top contender Luis Ortiz next year.
To get there, Joshua must first overcome his upcoming fight on December 10 in Manchester, with Eric Molina (25-3, 19KOs) - and then a planned multi-title fight with Wladimir Klitschko in March or April.
Ortiz (25-0, 22KOs) is coming back to the ring on Saturday night in Monte Carlo, when he makes his European debut against Malik Scott (38-2-1, 13KOs).
The fight between Joshua and Ortiz is very likely at some point - if they both keep winning. Ortiz signed a promotional agreement with Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport, who also promote Joshua.
Hearn wants to build up the name value of Ortiz to create a pay-per-view fight in the near future with Joshua. Should Ortiz win on Saturday, he makes quick turnaround on the undercard of the Joshua-Molina card. Then Hearn wants to bring him back to the United States in the first quarter of next year - before sending him into a major fight in the summer - which Heanr admits could come against Joshua or another world champion.
Joshua is fully focused on Molina at the moment, and then has Klitschko to contend with, but he would love to get the opportunity to get in there with Ortiz.
Joshua told Sky Sports: "I see how that is going to unfold. That's another fight, for me, that is no problem. Hopefully I defeat Klitschko and then I can fight Luis Ortiz. I will be watching him for sure because he is a competitor in the division that I could face sooner or later, so I have to put him as a priority.
"If we fight Ortiz, it would be a good scrap because I like fighting southpaws. I've got a powerful right hand that I could whip into the body or straight to the head. It will be a good challenge and a good name to have on the record at some stage, but first let's focus on The Drummer Boy, Eric Molina."