Gone are the days when Rashidi Ellis would be forced to watch the welterweight action from the bench. With an impending matchup against Roiman Villa on January 7th, at the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C., the speedy contender remains optimistic that his championship moment is well on its way.

Of course, presiding at the very top of the welterweight mountain, is current WBO trinket holder Terence Crawford, and his longtime rival, Errol Spence Jr. Initially, following years of back-and-forth fulmination, both sides attempted to lock in a deal that would see the winner walk away as the division’s lone undisputed champion.

However, despite the pent-up demand, talks broke off in the 11th hour. Ellis, in the meanwhile, isn't paying too much attention to what’s transpiring between Crawford and his fellow champion. Instead, the 29-year-old remains focused on working his way up the ladder.

Villa, his upcoming foe in just under two weeks, has bounced back nicely since registering the first defeat of his career, reeling off six consecutive victories. In 2022, in particular, the Colombian fringe contender enjoyed a successful and active schedule, picking up three wins in totality, with his recent victory coming against the previously undefeated Janelson Figueroa Bocachica.  

In any event, regardless of his success, Ellis (24-0, 15 KOs) is optimistic that a victory on the 7th of January, coupled with a string of good performances against top-tier competition, will leave him in good standing with the four major sanctioning bodies.

While he’s well aware that there is still work left to be done, Ellis is convinced that the path he’s currently on is a prudent one. Ultimately, when the time is undoubtedly right, the championship hopeful is under the impression that the welterweight division will eventually become his personal playground.  

“I’m taking over,” said Ellis to The Boxing Source during a recent interview. “I’m taking over the welterweight division.”