Jesus Iribe already has his eyes on a souvenir he would like to take home from his trip to Honolulu this week.

He wants the IBF light flyweight world championship belt.

"I'm here to win that belt and take it back with me," Iribe said through a Spanish interpreter.

Problem is, the belt currently belongs to Waipahu's Brian Viloria.

Viloria will defend the championship belt against Iribe in the main event of the "Island Assault" professional boxing card tomorrow at the Blaisdell Center Arena.

It is the first time since 1976 that a boxing world championship bout is being staged in Hawai'i (Ben Villaflor defended his WBA super featherweight title at the Blaisdell in April 1976).

Iribe said he is not concerned that the world champion will get to defend the title before his hometown fans.

"I'm very happy to be fighting him in Hawai'i," he said. "That way I can take the belt home with me."

But it is also the first time that Iribe is fighting outside of Mexico. He turned professional in 2002, and all 25 of his bouts have been in his home country.

"That doesn't mean anything," Iribe said. "I'm very well prepared and I'm confident that I will win."

Viloria is 25-2 with 15 knockouts. He won the IBF title with an 11th-round knockout of Mexico's Ulises Solis in April. Tomorrow will be his first defense of the title.

Iribe is 15-5-5 with nine knockouts and is ranked No. 15 by the IBF. He trains with the same team that worked with legendary Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez.

"I'm a technician; I like to put combinations together," Iribe said. "I've been an underdog before. This is not the first time. I don't prepare any different if I'm underdog or not."

However, Iribe said he is wary of Viloria's knockout power.

"(Viloria) is a very strong fighter and I have to be very cautious what I'm doing," Iribe said.

Viloria said he is aware that Iribe may employ a counter-punch strategy.

"He likes to jab — he has a good jab — but he doesn't like to go inside," Viloria said. "I have to put my combinations together and use my speed to my advantage."

Iribe and Viloria share a few common opponents. Most notable, both fighters lost 12-round decisions to WBC light flyweight world champion Edgar Sosa.

Viloria dropped a controversial majority decision to Sosa in April 2007; Iribe lost a unanimous decision to Sosa in February 2008.

Robert Garcia, Viloria's head trainer, said they have prepared to go the distance tomorrow — the bout is scheduled for 12 rounds.

"We've seen videos of Iribe and he's tough," Garcia said. "Brian will have to keep busy every round. He has to throw a lot of punches. That's the only way to beat a guy like Iribe."