Adam Azim: “I want to fight three or four times this year. Win the IBO world title, move up the rankings, and face some big names.”

Adam Azim: “I want to fight three or four times this year. Win the IBO world title, move up the rankings, and face some big names.”

By Matt Elliott

Adam Azim aims to elevate himself onto the world stage this weekend as he faces Sergey Lipinets for the vacant IBO super lightweight title at Wembley Arena. After an injury disrupted 2024, which saw him ruled out over the summer, Azim returned to action in October, dismantling Ohara Davies inside eight rounds in what was arguably the most accomplished performance of his career to date. He will have to be at his very best again on Saturday night, knowing victory could be the catalyst for some huge fights down the line in what is a highly competitive 140lbs division.

As time was called on his thirteenth professional training camp this past week, I caught up with Azim via Zoom, who was in good spirits ahead of fight night.

“I’m feeling good, really good. The camp has gone very well, and very much to plan. This is probably the best camp I’ve had so far, I’ve had some great sparring, the nutritionist has been on point, my sleep and recovery have been good and now I’m just excited to fight.”

This will be the fourth year in succession that Azim has fought in February, meaning any planned celebrations over the holiday period had to be shelved once again as he swapped family gatherings for extra hours in the gym. Those are the sacrifices that professional athletes must make to reach the pinnacle of their sport and victory this weekend will move Azim one step closer to achieving that dream.

The man who stands in his way is Sergey Lipinets, a former IBF world champion who has eighteen victories, three defeats, and one draw to his name in a professional career that has spanned eleven years. He won the IBF title in a unanimous points victory over Akihiro Kondo in late 2017 but lost it in his first defence to Mikey Garcia a few months later. His other two defeats came against Michel Rivera and Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, who is the only man to have stopped him inside the distance. Having studied his opponent in detail, what kind of fight is Azim expecting?

“He’s a good fighter, an elite performer, but he hasn’t faced anyone like me. I’m expecting fireworks. I know he’s going to come forward, his plan will be to come at me. The only way he can fight is on the front foot, I don’t think he knows any other way, so I know he’s going to try and pressure me, swing for me, but that’s the worst thing he can do against me as I’ll be ready for him.”

Lipinets’ last fight was against Robbie Davies Jr., a former gym-mate of Azim, in a scintillating ten-round battle in which he had to overcome some tough moments before ultimately winning a unanimous decision. Has Azim leaned on Davies Jr. for any advice during the buildup?

“Yeah, me and Robbie are very close, so I’ve spoken to him, and he’s been very respectful. He’s been saying it will be a good fight and to be smart in there and not get into a battle. He just said box him, and you’ll beat him.”

Azim is already a former European champion, and victory in this one will see him pick up the vacant IBO title. Whilst the IBO is the least recognised of the ‘major’ governing bodies, holding the belt can help open the door to some big fights, and he recognises the importance of that.

“First and foremost, it’s an IBO world title. You’re still a world champion, but in other ways, it also elevates you to another level, where other fighters will take notice. Some big names have held the belt in the past and gone on to pick up other titles from there, so I want to get my hands on it and it’s just a huge fight for myself and my family. It’s going to be a great show.”

Looking back on 2024, there were just two appearances for Azim, as he overcame wrist and ankle injuries. Despite the reduced activity, it was two more victories; a successful defence of his European title against Enock Poulsen and that aforementioned stoppage of Ohara Davies. Does he reflect on 2024 as another year of growth, or is there a lingering frustration that he was unable to be more active?

“Even though I was out of the ring for a long period, for me, it was good to spend some extra time in the gym, working hard and developing myself further. So, it felt like the perfect moment for me, and then you see the benefit of that hard work when I got to fight Ohara Davies, who is a great name, and I got rid of the ring rust straight away. I thought I boxed really well that night against a potentially dangerous opponent. I stuck to the game plan and got the win.”

One fight that didn’t progress last year was the scheduled showdown with Harlem Eubank. The two men faced off during the Fabio Wardley and Frazer Clarke fight in March, with a deal reportedly agreed, although a formal announcement was never made. Azim’s ankle injury disrupted plans for a summer date, and then Eubank turned his attention elsewhere, eventually moving up to welterweight late last year. If he is victorious this weekend, is this a fight that still interests Azim?

“It’s a great fight. I wanted to fight Harlem, but unfortunately, it didn’t go to plan, but I’d like to fight him this year. I’m not going to look past Sergey Lipinets as my eye is firmly on him at this moment, but you know, after that, we can look at who wants it next.”

Another potential opponent for the future is Dalton Smith, who moved one step closer to a WBC title shot with a first-round stoppage of Walid Ouizza this past weekend. Talk of a fight between these two will not go away, and tensions escalated when Azim opted to vacate his European title rather than face Smith after the two were mandated last February. Boxxer drew criticism for that decision, but it’s hard to argue against the path they have chosen for their man as he continues his development. Does Azim think that the fight could take place later in 2025, or when they meet, is it destined to be for a world title?

“Look, the fight is always there, and he’s always going to be there. Our names will be talked about for a long time. I’m not scared to fight him, I’ll fight him anytime, anywhere. In the meantime, I want Dalton Smith to keep winning, I do, and I wish him the best of luck in that regard, because if we both keep winning, then the fight only gets bigger.”

The immediate focus is securing victory on Saturday night, but thereafter, if Azim could map out the remainder of 2025, how would it look?

“I want to fight three or four times this year. Win the IBO world title, move up the rankings, and face some big names. It would be good to face George Kambosos Jr. towards the end of the year. That would be a good fight.”

And a final word for this weekend. It will be the fifth time that Azim has fought at Wembley Arena, and it’s another tough test, but every time the quality of his opponents has improved, he has found another level. For those fans attending on the night or watching from home, what can they expect to see from Adam Azim?

“An explosive performance. Hopefully, it will be a victory within five rounds, and hopefully, I put this guy to sleep.”