Adam Azim is back, his rescheduled clash with Aram Fanyan will take place at the AO Arena in Manchester on the undercard of Liam Smith's rematch with Chris Eubank Jr; watch Smith vs Eubank II live on Sky Sports Box Office on September 2
Thursday 10 August 2023 13:31, UK
Adam Azim will return to action against Aram Fanyan on the undercard of Liam Smith's September 2 rematch with Chris Eubank Jr.
Azim was due to fight Fanyan in June but a hand injury forced him to withdraw and reschedule the contest.
Their new date is September 2, on the undercard of Liam Smith's high-profile rematch with Chris Eubank Jr at the AO Arena in Manchester, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
Dangerous Ukrainian Fanyan, with a 22-1 record, has nearly three times Azim’s professional experience and just one career loss, making him a serious test. Fanyan is heading to Manchester intent on derailing Azim’s momentum and stealing the 21-year-old prodigy’s shine for himself.
Their clash was postponed earlier this year when a severe bacterial infection took root in Azim’s left hand via a cut sustained in a training session. Now fully recovered, the super-lightweight standout is straining at the leash to put on another show-stopping performance for British fight fans at one of the most anticipated boxing events of the year.
"Aram Fanyan isn't coming to roll over. He's dangerous, he's experienced and we all know what's going on in Ukraine right now - he wants to win for his country as much as anything. He's very motivated and he's not a guy to underestimate, so he's definitely a good opponent," said Azim.
"He's the toughest opponent of my career so far and I'm looking to put on a great performance which shows beyond doubt that I am ready to to step up to that next level and start winning some titles.
"Being on a big pay-per-view card like Smith vs Eubank II is just extra motivation for me - I want to be headlining my own pay-per-views in the future and the road to that really starts with this fight on September 2."
Fanyan, 26, said: “This is a huge opportunity for me to fight on one of the world's biggest television platforms for the sport of boxing. Ukraine has produced some great names in boxing. After this fight, Aram Fanyan is the next Ukrainian name the world's boxing fans will come to know.
“Adam Azim is young but already has a big name and big reputation, so when I travel to England and beat him on his home soil, that's going to get a lot of attention and it's going to open up some huge opportunities for me.”
Ben Shalom, BOXXER CEO, said: “Adam Azim is a prodigious talent and having just turned 21 we’ve still only seen a fraction of what he’s capable of. His natural ability combined with his work ethic and ambition is frightening. We believe he is the future star of this sport.
"On September 2 he will feature on a pay-per-view card for the first time and we believe he will headline many pay-per-views of his own in the future. He’s facing a dangerous, experienced opponent in Aram Fanyan. It’s an important test for Adam Azim and a big step forward for his career.”
As well as Smith vs Eubank II, Frazer Clarke, Ben Whittaker and Florian Marku will all be on the September 2 Sky Sports Box Office bill.
Clarke will box veteran heavyweight David Allen, Florian Marku will take on Ireland's Dylan Moran in a 10-round welterweight contest and Olympic silver medallist Ben Whittaker takes the next step in his professional career.
Plus Oldham's Mark Heffron will defend his British and Commonwealth super-middleweight titles against Jack Cullen on the card.
Don't miss Liam Smith vs Chris Eubank Jr II on September 2, live on Sky Sports Box Office
