Jose Valenzuela spent an entire training camp preparing for a crafty former titleholder.

He will gladly settle for an opponent with a completely different style since it means that he can still look forward to a fight this weekend.

An inability to secure a travel visa in time forced former WBA junior lightweight titlist Jezreel Corrales (26-4-1, 10KOs) to withdraw from his crossroads bout with Valenzuela (12-0, 8KOs) this weekend. The unbeaten Mexican lightweight will now face Edwin De Los Santos (14-1, 13KOs), a hard-hitting southpaw from the Dominican Republic who boarded a plane to Los Angeles mere hours after getting the call Wednesday afternoon for the assignment.

“I like to thank him for stepping in and saving the show,” Valenzuela said during Thursday’s press conference to discuss their upcoming lightweight bout. “I would have loved to fight Corrales, he’s ranked. But it is what it is. [De Los Santos is] a hell of a fighter. Fourteen wins and thirteen knockouts. He’ll bring out the best in me and it will be a hell of a show.”

The switch leaves Valenzuela to now brace for a rangy, come-forward knockout artist as opposed to the shorter, scrappier Corrales who figured to test the ring IQ of the unbeaten 23-year-old.

Of course, 'El Rayo' has grown accustomed to leaving no stone unturned while preparing for any fight. It comes with being surrounded by an all-star team—Valenzuela is a longtime stablemate of unbeaten former two-time super middleweight titlist David Benavidez, whose father Jose Sr. trains both fighters out of the greater Seattle area.

Sunday’s appearance—which opens a four-fight Fox Sports Pay-Per-View from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles (9:00 p.m. ET, $74.95)—is the fifth fight in just over a year for Valenzuela, who welcomes the new challenge as he transitions from prospect to contender.

“I’m ready for anybody,” insisted Valenzuela. “I’m facing a guy with a good knockout rate and I know he’s dangerous. But we trained too hard and no matter who I’m facing, I’m ready to put on a great performance and you know I’m coming for a knockout.”

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox