BALTIMORE – Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson expects a “heavyweight fight” when he leads his team against rival quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs in showdown for the AFC crown on Sunday.

The 28-year-old Mahomes, a two-time Super Bowl champion, was the NFL MVP in 2018 and 2022, while Jackson, 27, took the award in 2019. They’re the first under-30 MVP quarterbacks to meet in the playoffs.

“Just two greats, up-and-coming greats just going toe-to-toe, like a heavyweight fight,” Jackson said. “Heavyweight matchup, that’s what I see.”

The AFC championship showdown will determine which team advances to next month’s Super Bowl in Las Vegas against either the Detroit Lions or San Francisco 49ers.

“We have to finish,” Jackson said. “We’re not in the dance yet. I’m not even thinking about the Super Bowl until we handle business.”

The Chiefs are playing for the AFC title for the sixth consecutive season, seeking their fourth trip to the Super Bowl and a chance at a third title during that run.

Jackson, a run-pass threat, completed a career-high 67.2% of his passes this season for a career-best 3,678 yards while leading the Ravens to the NFL’s best record at 13-4. Jackson is the favorite to win this season’s MVP award.

“He’s going to be the MVP for a reason,” Mahomes said. “He goes out there, he leads his team, he scores, he runs, he throws, he does whatever it takes to win. That’s what the great greats do.

“It’ll be a great challenge for our defense, but also a great challenge for offense going against their defense. It’s going to take a full team effort if we want to find a way to get a win.”

While Jackson also led NFL quarterbacks in rushing with 821 yards and five touchdowns, he has become a much more dangerous passer, an evolution he felt was needed to give the Ravens a better chance at the NFL title that has eluded him.

Now he’s one win away from his first Super Bowl with last year’s winner blocking his path.

“To be a champion, you’ve got to go through a champion,” Jackson said. “That’s pretty much the mindset.”

The Ravens have played in four conference finals, all on the road. This will be the first AFC championship game in Baltimore since 1971, when three-time NFL MVP Johnny Unitas led the Baltimore Colts over Oakland 27-17.

Jackson is 1-3 against Mahomes, his most losses against any NFL quarterback, entering their first playoff matchup.

“It’s challenging the way he’s able to just be a competitor and score the football,” Mahomes said of Jackson.

“I’ve admired watching him from afar and know it’s going to be a great challenge for us. I knew we were going to play in a lot of games like this as our careers have gone on and I’m sure this will be the first of many.”

Jackson praised Mahomes as well, calling him “a great quarterback, definitely a Hall of Famer.”

Chiefs coach Andy Reid calls Jackson a “special” talent.

“Lamar is special,” Reid said. “He’s fast and one of the faster guys on the field when it’s all said and done and he’s shifty. He’s a fast kid. He has run away from secondary players.

“This kid, he throws it well, he throws it on the move well, runs the ball well so we’ve just got to stay on top of that part of it. You have to stay disciplined with any quarterback that runs.”

The Ravens have the NFL’s best scoring defense, allowing only 16.5 points a game and leading the league in sacks.

“I know this defense is really good, and we’re going to do everything in our part to show that to the world,” Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith said.

He’s not awestruck by Mahomes or his championship resume.

“He puts his pants on just like any other quarterback,” Smith said. “He’s an elite quarterback, but at the end of the day, we’re an elite defense.”

Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton often will have the challenge of denying Mahomes his favorite target — tight end Travis Kelce.

“He has been a great player for as long as I can remember,” Hamilton said of Kelce. “He’s earned every ounce of respect that he’s gotten. It’s going to be a challenge.”