Boxer Lamont Roach says his January bout against Gervonta Davis will be the fight of the year ... telling TMZ Sports he's gunning to shock the world and hand Tank the first L of his career!
We spoke with the 25-1 fighter ahead of his upcoming matchup with Tank, who will be defending his lightweight title in Houston, TX.
Some might consider it a mismatch ... considering Tank is one of the biggest stars in boxing, while Roach is still on the rise.
But, much like Eddie Hearn recently said about the matchup, Roach is a great fighter ... and he tells us he wants to put Davis to sleep.
"I anticipate it to be the fight of the year, honestly, " the 29-year-old told us. "Like I said, for all those who don't know, I can boogie. I'm in there, I'm in my zone. I'm in my jam when I'm in the ring. It is what it is. I'm gonna surprise a lot of people and I'm damn sure gonna shock a lot of people when I win."
"No matter how it go, I'm gonna be training to make sure I'm able to knock him out in any round."
Once he handles business, Roach -- who turned pro in 2014 -- told us he wants to take a crack at Shakur Stevenson ... so he can become unified champion.
"He's a very good fighter. After I beat Tank, I would love to fight him," Roach said of Shakur. "That's my goal. I just want to fight the best to prove that I'm the best."
Vasiliy Lomachenko is another name on Roach's list.
If anyone wants to question his lofty goals, Roach has a message for all the doubters.
"I actually do this. I'm on this level for a reason," Roach said.
"So for the haters, just tune in. Just tune in so I could say I told you so."