Viddal Riley is on a mission for a long-awaited world title shot, and he is looking to stop Seydi Coupe “ruining” his life when he returns to the ring on Saturday night.

‘The Rilest’ makes his latest appearance at Wembley Arena, topping the bill of MF Pro, the latest showcase from Misfits Boxing’s professional division.

The 29-year-old is the reigning European cruiserweight champion, a belt he claimed at the first time of asking against Mateusz Masternak at the O2 Arena in April, as the co-main event alongside the heavyweight clash between Derek Chisora and Deontay Wilder.

The victory has positioned him in the conversation to challenge for the IBF world title. But first, he must this weekend get through his undefeated opponent, who comes in with the same 14-0 record.

Coupe is by no means a knockout artist, with zero stoppage victories in his professional career so far, but Riley is aware of the threat he could pose to his future aspirations.

First defence: Viddal Riley is the current European cruiserweight champion

Getty

“I’d be underestimating my life by underestimating Seydi,” Riley tells Standard Sport.

“I haven’t always fought in this way. I’ve really come into my own now. I know what I want in my life. How I want my life to look in the next five years, not just living for the moment.

“How can I overlook someone who’s in the way of my life plans? He genuinely can ruin what those next five years look like.

“If you just focus on things like, ‘I’m quicker than him, I’m more powerful than him, I’ve fought at a higher level than him’, then you start underestimating your opponent. I’m looking at it like this guy can ruin my life.”

The Tottenham-raised Riley, who vacated his British title last year to target loftier goals, faced intense scrutiny when he became the first fighter to commit to Misfits’ professional branch.

Riley’s friendship and previous coaching relationship with global star KSI, who sits as CEO of Misfits Boxing, played a pivotal part in his decision to turn down approaches from Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions, and Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions when he announced that he was leaving Boxxer in 2025.

Hearn went as far as to question “how serious” Riley was with his boxing trajectory.

“He’s got this Misfits following and YouTube following as well, but he’s also proved himself as a very good fighter,” Hearn said.

“It depends what route he wants to go. If he wants to be a serious fighter, then I’m very interested.

“I think he could get an offer from that world as well, and I’m not really interested in that.”

Close friends: Viddal Riley was a former boxing coach for KSI

MFPro / Dave Cavan

Riley has revealed the thinking behind his decision.

“They showed me my value, and in this game it’s hard to find that,” he says.

“I didn’t feel it [elsewhere] anywhere near what MF Pro was presenting to me. I was never going to be the face of Queensberry or Matchroom. I deserve to be the face of something.

“They’ve allowed me to fully lean into collecting the fruits of my labour. I was climbing the ranks traditionally, had no touches, no niceties, and MF Pro have realised and acknowledged that.

“They have put me in positions where I’ve been a co-main event - a big deal.

“My second MF fight is as the main event. It feels so refreshing being with a promotion that wants to push you into the position that I’ve worked really hard for.

“It’s nice to see synergy with my hard work and the opportunities I get from it.”

Victory this weekend - when Riley expects a “show-stopping performance” - would propel him into the world-title conversation, with the Brit currently sitting second in the IBF cruiserweight rankings.

He is the mandatory challenger for the vacant championship, which remains unclaimed thanks to Jai Opetaia’s ongoing legal dispute with the commission.