Carlos Ocampo couldn’t care less about odds, public perception or anything else that indicates he can’t beat Errol Spence Jr.

Mexico’s Ocampo respects Spence’s power and skills, yet he also is confident he can upset the unbeaten IBF welterweight champion June 16. That’s the night Ocampo, the mandatory challenger for Spence’s championship, plans to capitalize on by far the most important opportunity of his 5½-year pro career in Frisco, Texas, just outside of Dallas.

Ocampo is well aware those of the insiders are predicting a one-sided contest in favor of Spence, who is widely regarded as one of the best fighters in the entire sport.

“Spence is a very smart and tough fighter, but he doesn’t scare me,” Ocampo said during a press conference Wednesday in Frisco. “I’ve been working for this for too long and I will be 100-percent ready to win. … I have been the underdog before and I’m prepared to once again overcome that. I’m not worried about what anybody else thinks of me or this fight.

“My mind is only on winning and being prepared to do whatever I have to. He can talk about knocking me out all he wants, but I’m here, too, and I’m ready to knock him out on June 16.”

Facing Spence represents a steep step up in competition for Ocampo (22-0, 13 KOs). The 22-year-old contender stopped fellow Mexican Dario Ferman (14-4, 11 KOs) in the seventh round of his last fight, November 11 in Chihuahua, Mexico.

In the 28-year-old Spence (23-0, 20 KOs), he’ll encounter an elite welterweight who has knocked out 87 percent of his professional opponents. He’ll also face a hostile crowd, as Spence is from the Dallas area (DeSoto, Texas).

“I know that this is a great opportunity to be fighting here in Spence’s hometown,” Ocampo said. “That’s a plus for me and it motivates me. I’m going to be ready to fight for 12 rounds.

“It’s supposed to be tough with the crowd against me and I know I’m the underdog, but my mind is only on the fight. I’m just fighting one man, not a whole crowd. I know that I have what it takes.”

Showtime will televise the Spence-Ocampo match from Ford Center at The Star, the Dallas Cowboys’ training facility. 

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.