LAS VEGAS – Kenneth Sims Jnr is the man who derailed Elvis Rodriguez’s rise to stardom. Sims sat at a weigh-in Friday supporting his teammate, junior lightweight DJ Zamora, as his old rival Rodriguez, fighting in a separate bout but on the same card with Zamora, made plans to pull off his own upset.

Rodriguez will face Lindolfo Delgado in Saturday’s co-feature at Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The bout is a WBC and IBF title eliminator in the junior welterweight division.

A healthy favorite when he was upset by Sims in 2021 in what remains his only professional loss, Rodriguez, 17-1 (13 KOs), has been gradually building himself back ever since and is currently riding a six-fight winning streak.

“I was a +1200 underdog when we fought,” Sims told BoxingScene of Rodriguez. “He has been doing what he is supposed to do – get back in the win column.”

Sims, 22-2-1 (8 KOs), is on a nine-fight winning streak of his own. A 31-year-old now training in Las Vegas, Sims had no advice for Rodriguez, 29, from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – but noted that he is in his corner, metaphorically, at least.

“I'm rooting for him because I've been in that position before,” Sims told BoxingScene of Rodriguez. “I can see people gave up on him after he lost to me, the same way people gave up on me when I had my setback.”

Sims has no insights to offer on fighting Rodriguez. He doesn’t have any to recall.

“I don't remember that fight,” Sims said. “I felt like I was floating from Round 1. I was in the zone.”

Sims believes Mexico’s Delgado, 22-0 (16 KOs), a 2016 Olympian, will make it a close fight with Rodriguez. Delgado, 30, who trains with Robert Garcia in Moreno Valley, California, has built himself into a top contender.

“I think it'd be a competitive fight,” Sims said. “I don't know how I expect it to play out, but I look forward to it.”

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.