Samuel Arnold III carries extra motivation into his next bout; words of encouragement from Christian Mbilli that still resonate.

Arnold will face Fernando Ezequiel Farias in a scheduled 10-round light heavyweight bout Friday at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California, on a DMG Promotions card.

Arnold, 14-0 (9 KOs), spent time sparring WBC interim super middleweight titleholder Christian Mbilli during a training stint in Montreal. The 22-year-old was recently named one of BoxingScene’s 26 prospects to watch in 2026 and now steps into a main-event opportunity. He recalled a moment after sparring that left a lasting impression.

“He told me if I stay on the path I’m on, I’ll be a champion one day,” Arnold told BoxingScene.

The Montreal camp proved to be a culture shock for Arnold, who turned professional in 2021. Originally from St. Louis and now based in Cedar Hill, Texas, Arnold found himself adjusting to colder weather and a largely French-speaking environment.

“It just showed me how international boxing really is,” Arnold said. “There are good boxers everywhere.”

While preparing for Farias, 13-3-3 (5 KOs), Arnold also benefited from working alongside Mbilli and longtime trainer Marc Ramsay, one of the sport’s most respected coaches. Ramsay has guided fighters such as Artur Beterbiev to pound-for-pound status, and the experience left a strong impression on Arnold.

“There were a lot of similarities to what I was already doing—it kind of confirmed some things for me,” Arnold said. “Now I’m adding onto that. We’re definitely going back to Ramsay’s gym. It’s a new door that opened. I saw how organized they are and how consistent they are. What they do is simple, but it’s effective.”

Friday’s bout will see Arnold compete at the light heavyweight limit, a weight he has fought at only once previously, against Jhosue Chumpik in June 2024. Over the past year, Arnold has competed primarily at a 170-pound catchweight and views this fight as part of an ongoing evaluation. He enters the bout off an impressive knockout win over Juan Barajas in November.

Farias, a 36-year-old from Buenos Aires, Argentina, has fought once in 2025, scoring a knockout win over Geronimo Nahuel Sacco in July. Prior to that, he was stopped by Steven Butler in November 2024.

As he heads into his latest test, Arnold says the biggest lesson he’s taken from training alongside Mbilli and Ramsay extends beyond technique.

“You can be humble and still be successful,” Arnold said.