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adam azeem Hope home rival Dalton Smith claims wbc Super lightweight world title from Subriel Matias – as he eyes a ‘massive’ All-British performance going forward.
Smith, 18-0 (13 KOs), has been in talks with Matyas’ camp for some time about a potential title fight, with reports suggesting a 2026 start date has finally been set.
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Azim, 13-0 (10 KOs), is scheduled to face Zaur Abdullaev, 20-2 (12 KOs), on the undercard. chris eubank jrhad a rematch with Connor Benn Live on DAZN PPV on Saturday, November 15.
While Smith is currently ranked No. 1 by the WBC, Azim is only on the fringes of the world title race, rated No. 10 by the IBF and No. 8 by the WBC, but he has suggested a fight with his domestic rival may not be too far away.
Speaking to The Ring about a potential fight with Smith, Azim said: “I think it would be good if I won a world title before him. It would be great – if we both get a world title each, we can unify.
“So it will be a big, huge, British performance. So I want him to win it.”
Both Smith and Azim have been discussing the fight for the past 18 months, taking digs at each other in person and in interviews. Smith, who is five years older than Azim, has prioritized a world title shot since the summer, thanks to his status as the WBC’s mandatory challenger at 140lbs.
The Sheffield-based fighter fights twice in the first four months of 2025 after just one bout in 2024, but Smith will have to wait for his shot at Matias, who became WBC champion with a win over Alberto Puello in July.
Azim was scheduled to fight in the last minutes of a boxing show in June, but his opponent was banned from competing by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBOFC) due to his use of a sauna to make weight.
The 23-year-old defeated former IBF super lightweight world champion Sergei Lipinets by ninth-round stoppage in February, his only fight of 2025.
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“As I said, both of us have not been very active ourselves,” Azim continued.
“If I were him, I would be very active. But if he were me, he would be saying the same thing.
“I also have to be active. We both have big fights coming up. I wish him all the best and I want him to win.”
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