The Meridian will host Miami’s first title bouts this year Thursday. Here’s the lineup

The short cuts to world championship opportunities are becoming a common pattern in boxing. No longer is a fighter required to encounter a trail of fights in which he undergoes phases of prospect and contender.

Murodjon Akhmadaliev indeed fits the profile of quick road to a world title fight. Seven professional fights were sufficient for Akhadaliev to land the coveted match.

A native of Uzbekistan, Akhmadaliev will fight in one of the three championship bouts of Thursday night’s card at the Meridian at Island Gardens in Miami. Akmadaliev, whose perfect record in a two-year professional career features six knockouts, will challenge defending champion Daniel Roman for the World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation super-bantamweight belts.

“I’ve only had seven fights and I haven’t felt challenged in any of those fights,” Akhmadaliev said. “I am not comparing those fights to this one as I know they are different and this is a hard fight.”

Akhmadaliev, 25, won a bronze medal in the 2016 Summer Olympics. His amateur hardware also includes silver medals in two world championships and he capped his amateur career with a gold medal-winning performance in the 2017 Asian Games.

“All the talk about his experience that [Roman] brings to the ring is fine but it’s only when we get in the ring together that we will see who is the best fighter, the most experienced, who is stronger, faster, sharper and smarter,” Akhmadaliev said. “I don’t like to talk too much; I love to fight, and I can’t wait to fight him.”

With a victory Thursday, Akhmadaliev will join a group of notable fighters who recently won world titles with limited professional experience. Ukraine’s Vasiliy Lomachenko, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, won a world title by his third professional bout, while 2016 Olympian Teofimo Lopez needed only 14 professional fights before stopping Richard Commey in two rounds to win a lightweight belt last month.

“I have been climbing this mountain for 17 years, in the gym twice a day in that time,” Akhmadaliev said. “I’ve broken my wrists, my fists, my nose, bloodied face, had cuts; all that sacrifice is for fights like this. I know people think I am inexperienced and Danny will take me out or something like that, but trust me, I have given it my all for 17 years and it will be no different for fight night.”

Roman (27-2-1, 16 KOs) will make his fifth defense as 122-pound champion. A native of Los Angeles, Roman acknowledges the importance of retaining his belt against Akhmadaliev to further solidify his reign.

“At this level there are no easy fights,” Roman said. “His style and my style are going to make for a great bout. We expect Akhmadaliev to come with his best and we are not taking him lightly.”

In the card’s other title fights, middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade (28-0, 17 KOs) will defend his World Boxing Organization belt against Ireland’s Luke Keeler (17-2-1, 5 KOs) and IBF junior-lightweight champion Tevin Farmer (30-4-1, 6 KOs) will face Joseph “Jojo” Diaz (30-1, 15 KOs).

Andrade recently signed a four-fight deal to appear on streaming service DAZN, which also has multi-fight facts with middleweight champions Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin. Although each is recognized as champion by a sanctioning body, Andrade lacks the marquee event status associated with Alvarez and Golovkin.

“I’ll give Luke credit where it’s due, it’s hard to get people to get in there with me and it’s his first world title fight,” Andrade said. “So, I am expecting him to bring his A-game.”

The announced 11-bout-card is scheduled to start at 7. The Meridian at Island Gardens is located on Watson Island and was built to accommodate events coinciding with Super Bowl week.