Gurgen Hovhannisyan is motivated by becoming a heavyweight titleholder for his native Armenia.

Hovhannisyan will headline Friday night’s card against Chris Thomas at the Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida, in an event that will stream on DAZN.

Hovhannisyan, 8-0 (7 KOs), who trains with Joe Goossen in Los Angeles, speaks as a fighter with a burning desire. He trains day in and day out to be the next great Armenian boxer – and, not coincidentally, a belt holder in the heavyweight division.

“My motivation is simple: I want to become a world champion for Armenia,” Hovhannisyan, 27, told BoxingScene. “I wake up, I remember why I started: to make history. That fire … it never goes out.”

Hovhannisyan, who most recently fought in April, stopping Dajuan Calloway, is co-promoted by BoxLab Promotions, and TGB Promotions. Hovhannisyan says he has improved since then, and believes he is only one or two more impressive performances away from being in the mix for a consequential bout.

“People are watching now. They see the power, the movement, the discipline,” Hovhannisyan said. “When you knock guys out like I do, they have to pay attention.”

Thomas, 15-1 (10 KOs), is unbeaten in his past three fights after suffering his first career defeat, to Roy King in 2019. Thomas, a 27-year-old from Beachwood, New Jersey, ended a five-year hiatus from the sport in February, fighting to a draw with Dominique Mayfield. Before that, he hadn’t fought since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Thomas has never been stopped, and Hovhannisyan has seen the final bell only once in his career.

“He is a tough guy. I respect him,” Hovhannisyan said. “He comes to fight, and that’s what I like. But he’s not on my level.”

In his training camp for this fight, Hovhannisyan says he was pushed by a few emerging heavyweights – to the point that he is sensing the next stage in his evolution in real time.

“We are not just training; I feel I’m becoming a complete fighter,” Hovhannisyan said. “The footwork, the defense, the timing – everything is clicking now.

“Joe made sure I saw every style,” Hovhannisyan said. “I don’t like to name names, but trust me: They pushed me, and I pushed them harder.”

Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.