Rances Barthelemy wants to become the greatest Cuban fighter ever

LAS VEGAS - It's not easy to leap two weight classes at the top level, but nothing in life has been a cinch for Rances Barthelemy

It took him 38 attempts - 38! - to successfully defect from Cuba at the age of 22 in pursuit of liberty and his dream to compete as a professional boxer. He was jailed in his homeland many times for his troubles. When he reached the shores of Mexico, though, it was all worth it - freedom. The 28-year-old makes his Premier Boxing Champions debut Sunday (4 p.m. ET, CBS) against Antonio DeMarco at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

"I feel much stronger at 140 pounds," Barthelemy said. "I used to cut a lot of weight to get down all the way to 130 pounds. I feel much stronger. You saw it in my last fight and you'll see it this fight, and the way I just jumped over 135 because I wanted to go straight to where the big fights were. There was no reason for 135."

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Barthelemy (22-0, 13 KOs) comes from a decorated boxing family. His older brother Yan captured gold at the 2004 Olympic games. His younger brother Leduan is a professional with five wins an no losses. And cousin Giorbis hasn't competed since an infamous incident when he bit the neck of Grady Brewer.

"Kid Blast," though, could be the best of the bunch. He won the IBF super featherweight title with a decision victory over Argenis Mendez in January 2014 before moving up in weight. Barthelemy is a big fighter at 5-foot-11 so the weight increase shouldn't be a hindrance.

In DeMarco, he faces a man who's competed on the world class level many times. The 29-year-old announced his arrival with a shocking TKO of Jorge Linares in 2011. The high-pressure fighter has also been in the ring with Adrien Broner and the late Edwin Valero and lost to Jessie Vargas in his last bout. The Mexican knows another loss could be devastating to his career.

"It's a great opportunity to be here," DeMarco (31-4-1, 23 KOs) said. "We know he's a difficult fighter, and it's a key point in my career to come up with a victory. I feel very comfortable now. I'm very happy with my camp, and it's time to show my family and my fans that I'm ready."

If Barthelemy comes out on top, he says he's ready for the best the division has to offer and fancies fights with Broner and Omar Figueroa.

"I want to be the best Cuban fighter of all time," he said, "and I'm on my way."