Adam Azim can put himself in pole position for a world title fight if he beats Steve Claggett on Saturday, but insists he has no desire to rush his progress saying he has "time on my hands."
Azim, 23, will fight Claggett (40-8-2, 28 KOs) in London on Saturday [BBC Two, 8.30 p.m. BST] as he inches towards a shot at the IBF world title.
The winner of this week's fight at Wembley Arena is set to be shifted up the super lightweight rankings and it is expected that should Azim (14-0, 11 KOs) win, he will eventually be made mandatory challenger for the belt, a source has told ESPN.
The IBF belt is currently vacant and the governing body have ordered Lindolfo Delgado and Arthur Biyarslanov to fight for the 140 pound title, according to Ring Magazine.
Azim is ranked at No. 7 with the IBF and is a top 10 contender with the WBC and WBO.
While he is in a good spot, Azim isn't going to force anything and is confident his best years are ahead of him.
"You've got people, let's say for Dalton [Smith, WBC champion] ... He needs to get a go on. He's getting to that age; he's hitting his 30s. I'm 24 in July. For me I feel like I've still got a lot of time on my hands," Azim said.
"By 25, 26 ... I want to peak then. I think your man strength comes when you're 25. I could be fighting for a world title next after this fight as well.
"Muhammad Ali said every single day is a learning day. I learn something new every single day. I'm not even at my peak yet. Even when I become world champion I'm not there yet."
Smith and Azim have been linked to fight for the last two years and there is growing confidence that if Azim captures a belt, an all-British world title clash could happen in the next 12 months.
Azim is looking to make a statement against the experienced Claggett and while he is expected to win, he knows a big performance against someone who went the distance with Teofimo Lopez will go a long way in establishing him as a serious title contender at 140 lbs.
"If I can stop him then that would be a massive step," Azim said.
"He's got one style, he comes forward. I don't think he can fight on the back foot but he's a very good pressure fighter.
"If I can get the job done [stoppage] against Steve Claggett than that will be good, but all respect."
The fight will be Azim's debut on the BBC, which will give him huge platform in the UK and will be the first Boxxer event with the broadcaster that hasn't clashed with another major fight night in Britain.
The Champions League final between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain will kick off at 5 p.m. BST and promoter Ben Shalom hopes fans will be prompted to switch over to the boxing after the football.
"That's the one down side of being with the BBC is it's hard to get the prime time, Saturday night slots," Shalom said.
"They have a slot of scheduling, and you get the dates that you're given. It's not intentional.
"Fortunately for this one, it's the first time we're not clashing. I think it's because the other broadcasters don't want to go on the same night as the Champions League final."