Azim (15-0, 12 KOs) was too fast, too strong and too good for the former world title challenger who suffered his first stoppage loss in 15 years.

“I had to train extra hard for 12 weeks,” Azim said after the fight. “I know Steve Claggett was very game, very strong. … He took Teofimo Lopez 12 rounds. I've done my job. I'm not here to say I've knocked him out or stopped him. I'm here for full respect.”

As is his way, Claggett (40-9-2, 28 KOs) energetically pressed forward from the opening bell, but if the tough veteran expected the slick, smart Azim to go backwards, he was sorely disappointed. Rather than retreating, the 23-year-old from Slough held his ground and stepped around the tattooed Claggett. He instantly found the mark with chopping right hands and bloodied Claggett’s nose with a perfect right uppercut.

Claggett is usually a solid, workmanlike operator, but that 2024 loss to Lopez highlighted the 36-year-old’s shortcomings and Azim’s hand speed and cleverness exposed them to an even greater degree.

The right uppercut was a lethal weapon for Azim. He steadied Claggett with a perfectly picked shot at the start of the second round and badly hurt him with another as the round ended. A right hook high on the head put the brave but badly outgunned Canadian down.

Claggett got up and got off his stool to answer the bell for the third but stepped straight back into a threshing machine. Azim landed almost every shot in his repertoire, and as Claggett tottered back to the ropes the referee correctly stepped in to stop the fight.

Claggett looked like he had boxed 15 rounds.

Ranked at No. 9 by The Ring, Azim is also highly ranked by the IBF, WBC and WBO and looks ready to test himself at the highest level.

Last week, the IBF ordered Mexico’s Lindolfo Garcia (24-0, 16 KOs) to fight Arthur Biyarslanov (20-0, 16 KOs) for their vacant 140-pound title. Azim will be a very interested observer.

In the chief support, Francesca Hennessy remained unbeaten with an easy win over Itay’s Aurora De Persio in a bantamweight bout scheduled for 10 rounds.

Hennessy (9-0, 2 KOs) was too talented for the rough but limited De Persio (8-2, 3 KOs), who has spent most of her career campaigning at flyweight.

De Persio tried to make things uncomfortable for the 21-year-old but quickly tired and the gap in quality became very evident.

Hennessy hurt the Italian in the fifth, jumped on her in the sixth and kept punching until the referee jumped in to stop the fight.

English welterweight champion Joel Kodua (12-0, 4 KOs) successfully defended his title with an eighth-round stoppage of Will Harrison (8-1-2).

Kodua turned professional relatively late but is making rapid progress. The 29-year-old Londoner is a composed fighter and a precise puncher and was just too good for the Central Area champion. He dominated the fight from start to finish and upped the tempo ruthlessly. Harrison’s corner wisely withdrew their man after the eighth.

Heavyweight — Ergal Elezaj (6-0, 2 KOs) def. Dan Garber (12-8, 2 KOs) by fifth-round stoppage.

Junior welterweight — Saqib Mehmood (3-0, 1 KO) def. Simas Volosinas (7-129) by first-round stoppage.

Featherweight — Abdul Khan (15-0, 4 KOs) def. Liam Fitzmorris (0-16) by second-round stoppage.

Heavyweight — Derrick Osadolor (1-1, 1 KO) def. Ryan Labourn (0-43-2) by third-round stoppage.

Welterweight — Oscar McCracken (6-0) def. Steven Wallace (0-10) by four-round decision.

Junior welterweight — Mohammad Bilal Ali (11-1, 1 KO) def. Dale Arrowsmith by four-round decision.