Nikki Bascome said he is not taking anything for granted when he rests his unblemished professional record on the line against Iwan “Pure Gold” Azore at the Fairmont Southampton next month.

The two men will go toe-to-toe in a six round welterweight bout on February 25 — Bascome’s second bout in three months after his second-round stoppage of Donny Miller at Berkeley School Gym last month.

“I don’t really know too much about him,” said Bascome, whose professional record stands at a perfect 5-0. “I know he’s a southpaw and I’m not underestimating him.”

A Guyanese who lives in Trinidad, Azore, who has 16 wins from 26 bouts, represents a major step up in class for Bascome and will be the first southpaw he has faced since his professional debut against George Quintero in Florida two years ago.

“I’m definitely going to be sharp for this fight and at the end of the day I am coming to win,” Bascome said. “He’s just another opponent in my eyes.

“I’m still in shape. I started camp last week and I’m looking forward to getting that victory.”

There are those such as Clarence Hill, Bermuda’s only Olympic medal-winner, who believe that Bascome must leave the island to fulfil his potential.

Moving away to be afforded better sparring and greater opportunities is something that excites Bascome but is not possible at the moment because of a lack of funding.

“For me to go away is going to cost money that I don’t have right now,” Bascome said. “I’m looking to go to that next level and for me to go to that next level I can’t be working and training at the same time.

“These guys are elite fighters and are putting all of their time in the gym and that’s what I want to do. I want to be around that energy but I can’t do it without the funds.

“I don’t think moving away will change anything if I don’t have the funds because I will be doing the same thing in the US, England or wherever. Right now all I can do is just focus on my fights when they present themselves.

“I’m looking to climb the ranks. That’s my objective, to put myself in the best position as possible to get the big fights.

“Nathan Dill [the Bermuda Boxing Federation president] is doing an excellent job with finding me opponents now and he gets a lot of credit for helping me move up the ladder.”