Joshua Pagan is ready to headline in his hometown for the first time since turning professional.

Pagan will face Bryan Jimenez on Tuesday at GLC Live at 20 Monroe in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The 10-round lightweight bout will top a DAZN stream.

In addition to the top billing, it will also mark the first fight in his true hometown. Pagan, 14-0 (5 KOs), made his pro debut in Dearborn and has also fought in Detroit and – most recently – Flint.

That said, he will be the first to tell you there is no place like home, though it wasn’t always great.

Pagan lost his first three amateur bouts in Grand Rapids before rising up the amateur ranks. Pagan’s childhood was filled with going to downtown Grand Rapids for festivals, to get ice cream, and to fight in amateur tournaments. Now, he gets to be the talk of the town, returning as a main-event boxer. 

“Being able to headline a show in downtown Grand Rapids is like wow, this is what my hard work has gotten me,” Pagan told BoxingScene. “You want to perform at your best at home around the people you grew up with.”

The bout brings back memories of his childhood, and waiting for the weekend to fight in an amateur tournament. 

“I remember just growing up, being a kid, and the excitement of having a fight,” Pagan said. “Sometimes you didn’t know if you were going to fight, because my weight class was 98lbs when I first started. It was hard for me to get fights.”

Pagan’s previous in-state outing came last February in Flint, a little more than 90 minutes from Grand Rapids. 

He has also fought in Puerto Rico twice, including his last performance when he stopped Maliek Montgomery in the 9th round of their gory affair last October. It was a memorable night for the boxer, who is of Puerto Rican descent.

Another step up comes in this outing. 

Jimenez, 18-2 (10 KOs), defeated Israel Lopez in November by unanimous decision. Before that, the 28-year-old Nicaraguan lost a unanimous decision to Shamar Canal, an undefeated prospect.

Pagan considers himself a step above anyone that Jimenez has ever faced - and Jimenez as well.

“I am a 100 per cent contender,” Pagan said.

Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.