South African trainer Colin Nathan is certain his man, Phumelela Cafu, the WBO junior bantamweight champion, can cause an upset and stun Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez in Texas.

They meet at The Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, with many so confident in “Bam’s” victory that his next fight, against Fernando “Puma” Martinez, has already been announced for November.

A couple of weeks ago, they flew from Johannesburg to Amsterdam, and that 10-hour flight was followed by a six-hour layover. Then there was a further 12 hours on the flight to Las Vegas, where they made the DLX Boxing Gym their home, before heading on to round out camp in Texas.

It was while they were in Las Vegas that “Puma” Martinez attended a press conference in New York to announce his fight with Rodriguez.

Nathan said they did not let that bother them, and that they have remained focused on what’s in front of them, which is Rodriguez, one of the world’s best fighters.

“It doesn’t really bother me,” said Nathan. “It doesn’t really bother Phumelela either because people can announce that they're dating Barbie. It doesn’t really make a difference to me. We are set on one thing and the task is Saturday night and we didn't come here for holiday. It’s business and it’s serious business. I just find it amusing they totally dismissed Phumelela, totally disregarded him. It’s almost like he just has to step in the ring and perform and win. I was just like, people need to remember that Phumelela is unbeaten. He’s a world champion. He won his championship the hard way and that’s on the road. I think we’ve been totally dismissed and overlooked. And to be honest, I actually enjoy being in this position because you talk about the pressure, I think there’s less pressure on us than there is on ‘Bam.’”

It was a similar situation when Cafu travelled to Japan last year to claim his title from Kosei Tanaka. He floored the Japanese fighter on his way to a split decision win.

Still only 26, Cafu is 11-0-3 (8 KOs).

Cafu has the hopes of a nation on his shoulders, so he is not without some expectation, but Nathan believes the boxing world sees only one winner.

“I think it’s interesting because the Rodriguez side really feel that it’s just a foregone conclusion,” he added. “There’s already been an announcement about his next fight in November. I mean, I’m not really too fazed about it. I find it quite amusing actually, because I know boxing. There’s no guarantee and I know there are no guarantees in life.

“I don't think he [Bam] can simply overlook what’s been announced because he’s only human and he wants that fight as well. But, equally, we are set on upsetting the odds on Saturday night and producing the goods.”

Nathan said Cafu has been unfazed by the big stage this week, and that he has seen African fighters freeze under the bright lights and the magnifying glass of major fights before. But he called Japan last year against Tanaka Cafu’s “dress rehearsal.”

And for his part, Cafu has worked hard to scupper the best-laid plans of others. He wants to move into the unification fight with Martinez.

“He’s really up for it,” said Nathan. “He’s training really, really hard. It's been a grueling camp. I couldn't have trained him any harder. He knows what’s at stake. He’s ready. He’s ready to shock the world. Really, literally shock the world. Because no one… I was reading all the comments, like everyone thinks this is just a foregone conclusion. And I’ve been in these positions before when we’ve been massive underdogs and we pull it off. And I'm confident on Saturday we’re going to pull it off. ‘Bam’s’ a really, really an excellent fighter. He’s really, really a good fighter, but I believe I’ve got the man to beat him on Saturday night.”