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One didn鈥檛 have to be a mind reader to know what promoter Marshall Kauffman was thinking when he signed Jason Sanchez to a contract and put him in the ring with unbeaten Julian Gonzalez last June in Philadelphia.

Yes, Sanchez represented a step up in competition for Kauffman鈥檚 young fighter. But another victory for his guy from nearby Reading was the anticipated outcome.

Nope.

Saturday in El Paso, sa国际传媒官网网页入口鈥檚 Sanchez, having upset Gonzalez by eight-round split decision, is scheduled to face another Kauffman (King鈥檚 Promotions) prospect in 28-year-old Dominican YeYery Castillo (14-1, 11 knockouts).

But this one looks, and feels, different.

First, there鈥檚 Castillo鈥檚 record 鈥� compiled against competition that pales against the opponents Sanchez (17-6, nine KOs) has faced.

Sanchez鈥檚 six defeats have come against opponents with a combined record of 118-7 at the time of those bouts. The list includes one former world champion, Oscar Valdez, and one current world champion, Bruce Carrington.

鈥淚 looked (Castillo) up,鈥� Sanchez said in a recent phone interview. 鈥淗e seems like a solid, solid opponent.

鈥淏ut I鈥檝e already been in there with the top level, so I should be able to beat this dude.鈥�

Castillo鈥檚 one defeat came in his most recent fight, a loss by first-round TKO against unbeaten (17-0, seven KOs) Haven Brady Jr. on Nov. 8 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. It was Castillo鈥檚 first fight outside his native Dominican Republic.

Then, there鈥檚 location. Kauffman promotes mostly in his home state of Pennsylvania but clearly has an affinity for El Paso. Saturday鈥檚 card will be the sixth he has staged there in the past 28 months.

El Pasoan Stephanie Han won the WBA title she defended successfully against sa国际传媒官网网页入口鈥檚 Holly Holm in January, and will seek to do so again in her home town on May 30, on a Kauffman card in El Paso.

Unbeaten sa国际传媒官网网页入口 flyweight Abraham Perez defeated Mexico鈥檚 Angel Geovanny Meza by unanimous decision on a Kauffman card in El Paso last July 12.

Unlike Han, Sanchez doesn鈥檛 live in El Paso. Unlike Perez, he doesn鈥檛 have family there.

But El Paso鈥檚 a lot closer to sa国际传媒官网网页入口 than Philadelphia is 鈥� and, perhaps more important, closer to sa国际传媒官网网页入口 than the Dominican Republic is.

It鈥檚 boxing, so who knows? But the odds this time, it would seem, have swung toward Sanchez.

Sanchez, nicknamed 鈥淓l Alacrancito鈥� 鈥� the Little Scorpion; his late brother Alan was 鈥淓l Alacran鈥濃�� signed a three-fight contract with Kauffman before the Gonzalez fight. If he defeats Castillo on Saturday, what, where and against whom might fight No. 3 be?

鈥淪omething bigger, definitely,鈥� he said. 鈥溾�� Something a lot bigger.鈥�

Sanchez, 31, is a full-time fighter 鈥� except when he鈥檚 training other fighters.

鈥淚鈥檝e got my own team, Team Alacrancito,鈥� he said. One of his boxers, he said, recently won a Silver Gloves amateur state title.

Veteran boxing trainer Steve Garcia (no relation to the MMA fighter of the same name) has helped Sanchez prepare for Saturday鈥檚 bout. Sanchez鈥檚 wife, Marlina, assists with strength and conditioning.

He sees a safe and productive future in the sport.

鈥淚 feel good, strong,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 actually feel even better than when I was younger.

鈥淢y body will let me know (when it鈥檚 time to leave). But now, I feel good.鈥�

MORE NM TIES: After a highly decorated amateur career, Las Cruces鈥� Ariana Carrasco is scheduled to make her pro debut on Saturday鈥檚 card in El Paso. She鈥檚 matched against Tennielle Young (pro debut) of Columbus, Ohio.

Las Cruces flyweight D鈥橝ngelo Sanchez (4-1, three KOs) is scheduled to face sa国际传媒官网网页入口鈥檚 Austin Lewis (1-1).