British-Pakistani boxer Adam Azim won the World Super Lightweight Boxing Championship, defeating reigning champion Sergey Lipinets in the ninth round.
The fight saw a turning point in the third round when Lipinets, increasing his pace, walked into a powerful left hook from Azim, leaving him flat on his back in the ring.
Following his victory, Azim hinted at his next challenge, calling out Dalton Smith: “You better be watching, my friend. I’m coming.”
Hailing from Kotli, Azad Kashmir, Azim remains undefeated, earning global recognition. His father, Mohammad Azim, expressed immense pride, calling it a moment of honour for both Pakistan and the UK.
Former boxing champion Amir Khan, who travelled from Dubai to support Azim, hailed the win as historic, noting that Azim is only the second Pakistani boxer to achieve a world championship title. He also announced plans to visit Pakistan with Azim to celebrate the triumph.
After the fight, Adam Azim once again stated he will be better than Dalton Smith when the super-lightweight pair eventually clash.
Azim was under pressure to make a statement performance when he fought Sergey Lipinets last night and he delivered emphatically after he stopped the former world champion in nine rounds.
Neither fighter has put a foot wrong so far in their professional careers and after Smith became continental ruler, it was over to Azim to show what he could do against the tough Kazakh.
Azim was expected to receive a stern test from his opponent, but he showed his class throughout as he dominated the experienced fighter and even managed to score a third-round knockdown.
The Slough man would be deducted two points as his consistent body attacks strayed low on a couple of occasions, but there was never no doubt that they would prove costly.
With Azim constantly landing heavy shots, the bout was eventually stopped in the ninth session and there appeared to be a sense of relief from Lipinets when the bout was called off.
Azim will now continue his march towards bigger fight, even world title contests, and he even had time to address his domestic rival in the fight’s aftermath.
"I'll fight whoever my team suggest, but do you know what, Dalton Smith, you'd better be watching mate - because you ain't that good, my friend," said Azim when speaking to Sky Sports.
"The guy you've been fighting in your last fight, he ain't all that. Trust me, I'm coming baby. It's still marinating, but when I do fight him, I'm going to teach him a lesson."