Boxing News Hall of Fame writer Graham Houston takes a look at Adam Azim’s fight against Steve Claggett on Saturday and gives his best tips.
Adam Azim vs Steve Claggett Tips Preview
Undefeated 140-pounder Adam Azim was due to have step-up fight against Argentina’s Gustavo Lemos in January but a hand injury caused the bout to be cancelled. That was disappointing, but it’s the sort of thing a fighter has to take in stride.
Now it’s on with the show, and Azim makes a delayed start to his 2026 campaign when he meets well-respected veteran Steve Claggett, of Calgary, Canada, in a 12-rounder at Wembley Arena on Saturday (to be broadcast on BBC2).
Claggett is perhaps best known for taking Teo Lopez the full distance in a WBO junior welter title challenge in Miami two years ago. Some observers saw this as a closer fight than the scores suggested.
The heavily favoured Lopez had to work hard in every round and he finished the fight with both eyes bruised and swollen. And at no stage did Lopez look like stopping the gritty veteran.
Claggett is 36 but he still seems to be fighting as well as he’s ever done, having stopped his last two opponents.
What you see is what you get with Claggett. He brings good, honest effort, nothing fancy. His style is pressure-based and high output.
Claggett has only been stopped once in his 50-fight career, and that was in the the last round of a fight in the Philippines back in March 2011.
That was so long ago it hardly matters.
Claggett has beaten fighters of good repute such as Quebec’s stylish Yves Ulysse Jr, tough Armenian Petros Ananyan and rugged Miguel Madueno of Mexico. Indeed, he snapped the unbeaten records of Ulysse and Ananyan.
Unfortunately for Claggett he hasn’t always had fortune on his side in close bouts, with three losses by split or majority decision in a record of 40-8-2 (28 KOs).
Azim, meanwhile, has done everything asked of him in his 14-0 (11 KOs) record. The 24-year-old is fast, smart, skilled and explosive.
It’s been onwards and upwards for Azim. One is tempted to say the sky’s the limit.
Azim won the European super lightweight title in only his 10th bout by stopping the seasoned Franck Petitjean although he subsequently vacated the title.
He seems to be improving almost with every fight.
Seasoned Ohara Davies was broken down in eight rounds; Kazakhstan’s battle-hardened Sergey Lipinets was halted in the eighth.
Lipinets’ only other inside-schedule defeat came against the formidable Boots Ennis.
And in his last fight Azim showed he can carry his power late into a contest when he stopped the muscled Kurt Scoby in the 12th and final round.
After 10 rounds, that fight looked like going the distance. But Azim landed a big right hand in the 11th that had Scoby hanging on, and a series of shots finished the job in the 12th.
So, with Azim, it’s never over until it’s over.
Adam Azim vs Steve Claggett Tale of the Tape
Adam Azim | Steve Claggett | |
Record: | 14-0 (11 KO) | 40-8-2 (28 KOs) |
Age: | 24 | 36 |
Birthplace: | Slough, England | Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
Height: | 5′ 10″ / 180cm | 5' 8″ / 173cm |
Stance: | Orthodox | Orthodox |
Last Fight: | Won (TKO) vs Kurt Scoby (Nov 2025) | Won (TKO) vs Eduardo Estela (Oct 2024) |
KO%: | 78.57% | 70% |
Alias: | 'The Assassin’ | 'The Dragon’ |
Adam Azim vs Steve Claggett Top Tips
It would be quite an achievement if Azim could stop Claggett where Teo Lopez couldn’t. And my guess is that this is the reason the fight has been made: For Azim to go one better than Teo.
Claggett is very tough and game, very experienced, but he’s had a long career and at 36 (37 next month) he might have reached the stage where he could go at any time.
Azim is a sharpshooter who is capable of hurting opponents early or late. He won’t have to go looking for Claggett, who will be coming straight ahead all night.
Claggett has some head movement, slipping punches on the way in, rolling under blows, but Azim is precise and calculating. It figures that Claggett is going to have to take shots in every round. But can he keep taking them from Azim throughout the fight? I don’t think he can.
A straight bet on Azim at 1/10 odds isn’t very appealing but I see value in the stoppage proposition at 5/8. As a bet builder, Azim simply to win teamed with Azim to win in rounds 7-12 gives plus-money odds of 8/5 and it’s worth considering.
I’d be surprised if Azim got Claggett out of the fight inside six rounds. A more likely outcome is that an accumulation of sharp shots catches up with the courageous Canadian visitor towards the end of the scheduled 12 rounds.
All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
