It’s a rare occurrence when a boxing loss builds a fighter’s profile, but that’s precisely what has happened with super-bantamweight contender Ramon Cardenas.

Seven months after replacement-foe Cardenas knocked down undisputed champion Naoya Inoue in the second round of a gripping Cinco de Mayo weekend bout that Inoue ultimately won by eighth-round stoppage, Cardenas is back.

Placed atop Thursday night’s ProBoxTV card in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Texas’ Cardenas 26-2 (14KOs) returns versus Mexico’s Erik Robles Ayala 16-3 (10KOs) at War Memorial Auditorium.

The card can be seen on ProBoxTV’s YouTube channel.

Cardenas’ assistant trainer Ronnie Cantu told BoxingScene Tuesday that Cardenas – ranked second by the WBA and fifth by the WBC – has prepared to prove “he knows he’s on another level.”

During this camp, Cardenas has sparred with unbeaten three-division champion Junto Nakatani 31-0 (24 KOs) while preparing under new trainer Manny Robles.

The intention with Thursday’s bout is to “go and show the level he’s on,” Cantu said.

“Ramon doesn’t need to call out anyone.”

Following some camp talk after the Inoue performance that Cardenas had the ability to shift from super-bantamweight down to 118lbs, Cantu said that’s no longer the case.

With Inoue meeting second-ranked WBC contender David Alan Picasso December 27 in Saudi Arabia while Nakatani makes his 122lbs debut against Sebastian Reyes, the expected winners from Japan are headed to a Tokyo Dome showdown in the spring.

With the Inoue performance behind him along with the Nakatani sparring sessions, Cardenas is content to affirm his position as the most qualified challenger for whomever emerges from the expected Inoue-Nakatani mega-fight.

“He has lots of familiarity with both of them now,” Cantu said.

WEIGHTS FROM FORT LAUDERDALE

10 rounds, junior-featherweight

Ramon Cardenas 124lbs, Erik Ayala 123.6lbs

10 rounds, middleweight

Hebert Conceicao Sousa 160.4 lbs, Elias Espadas 160.2lbs

8 rounds, middleweight

Joeshon James 163.4, Yojanier Martinez 165.4

10 rounds, super-lightweight

Mykquan Williams 141.6lbs, George Pardo 145lbs

8 rounds, super-welterweight

Bryan Polaco, 153.2lbs, Marlon Harrington 153.2lbs

4 rounds, junior-featherweight

Kenyan Valle, 123.6lbs, Taran Ward 128lbs