ADAM Azim looked almost offended that the scales read he was five ounces (0.3lbs) overweight, just like Sergey Lipinets a few moments prior, with both assuming there was a technical fault.

They both had two hours to make the contracted 140-pound limit for their IBO world junior-welterweight title fight and did so successfully.

That will not stop sceptics questioning whether it was wise for Lipinets to leave his travel so late and look so jetlagged before cutting an additional pound of weight barely 24 hours before boxing one of Britain's best prospects. We'll soon find out.

Sky Sports and Peacock+ will televise their 12-round contest live tonight from Wembley's OVO Arena in north London, with estimated main event ringwalks around 10pm BST (5pm EST, 2pm PST) after an nine-bout undercard. 

In any case, Azim wasn't worried and stressed as much during a brief interview post weigh-in with Sky Sports' Andy Scott.

"His head's screwed on right now for the weigh-in, I'm ready for the fight. I don't care about eating or nothing, if I don't eat right now and fight him tomorrow, I'm easy. Every single day I've been relaxed, you guys will see the new Adam Azim on Saturday night."

Whether listing notable names from the Kazakh veteran's 22-fight resume (18-3-1, 13 KOs), like Mikey Garcia and reigning IBF welterweight world champion Jaron Ennis, or declaring this was the fight catapulting him to world-level status, the 22-year-old has been consistent since this fight was first announced on December 3.

In conversation with The Ring on the eve of fight week, Azim (12-0, 9 KOs) opened up about his struggles with injury, depression and the benefit of perspective during a disruptive 2024.

"Everything happens for a reason. I've conducted myself around all the world champions, staying in the gym and learning all the time - boxing at mid and long-range, inside fighting - but not just as a boxer, within myself, stayed focused and learned a lot as a person. I got kinda depressed because of my ankle and really wanted to fight, but when I don't, that's how I feel."

Azim did a face-off in the ring with Harlem Eubank (20-0, 8 KOs) as part of BOXXER's Easter Sunday card, headlined by Fabio Wardley vs. Frazer Clarke, the headline being these two unbeaten junior-welterweights were in advanced discussions for a summer showdown.

Eubank's promoter, Wasserman and particularly Kalle Sauerland, was uneasy upon receiving a phone call informing him some 2,000 miles away in Greece earlier that day. Why advertise or announce something when contracts haven't been signed?

He went a step further this week and criticised BOXXER's handling of the whole situation at the inaugural press conference for Eubank vs. Tyrone McKenna (24-5-1, 7 KOs), in the Brighton contender's second welterweight appearance.

Azim suffered an ankle injury from overtraining, doing unsanctioned night sprints in his native Slough and needing three months' recovery time. Harlem, already 31, couldn't afford to wait any longer and naturally the pair went their separate ways.

So while that domestic duel remains a future possibility, how does Adam hold back and be smarter about his regime?

"Literally as soon as that fight got announced - right in Ramadan too - I got injured. When you're injured, it's all down to your head. It was good though because I continued learning with Shane [McGuigan, his trainer], had sparring partners coming in the gym and while a lot of people might go haywire by eating junk food, not me!

"My camp for the Ohara Davies fight started around August, I'd love to fight Harlem and Dalton [Smith] but when the time is right."

On how far off world level he is, Azim didn't mince words before also playing matchmaker.

"Not far off. Once I beat Sergey, I'm up there and will prove I'm an elite fighter, Dalton could fight Richardson Hitchins - both are with Matchroom - I'd back Dalton to win and it'd be good to have a IBF/IBO unification, build the fight up more as it's still marinating. I just don't rate Hitchins, a very good skilful boxer but doesn't have knockout power."