LAS VEGAS, Nevada—Mark "Magnifico" Magsayo goes after Mexican brawler Julio Ceja's hide in one of the nine undercards in the Manny Pacquiao-Yordenis Ugás main event on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) at the T-Mobile Arena.

A victory in the eliminator bout will catapult the former ice drop vendor in Tagbilaran City to a title fight against reigning World Boxing Council featherweight champion Gary Russel Jr. of the US.

Magsayo's humble background as an ice drop vendor in Bohol adds boost to his campaign against Ceja.

"I started selling ice drops in Tagbilaran City when I was seven to help my parents," Magsayo, 26, told BusinessMirror during Thursday's news conference for the undercards at the MGM Grand. "I got into boxing when I was young, idolizing Manny Pacquiao's greatness."

Magsayo (22-0 win-loss record with 15 knockouts), however, stressed that the 28-year-old Ceja (32-4-1 win-loss-draw record with 28 knockouts) won't be an easy customer.

"[Julio] Ceja is not an easy fighter, he's a good fighter, and he's absolutely a brawler," he said. "This is a very important fight for me because if I win, my next fight will be for the world title."

Magsayo is on a two-fight winning streak since he brought his act to the US in July last year. He survived American Rigoberto Hermosillo last October 3 via split decision in Los Angeles before crushing another American, Pablo Cruz, via a brutal fourth-round  knockout last April 10 in Connecticut.

Ceja told a separate interview that he will take away Magsayo's dream by knocking him out.

"I want to knock him out and I will aim for that," he said through an interpreter. "It's very important on my part to win because I also want to be a world titleholder."

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