The Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford fight week will serve as the proving grounds for many fighters looking to take the next step in their career.

Among those fighters is Bek Nurmaganbet, an undefeated southpaw from Shymkent, Kazakhstan. He’ll face the most significant test of his career on Wednesday night, when he fights Steven Sumpter in a 10-round bout at a catchweight of 170 pounds at Fontainebleau in Las Vegas.

“This will be one of the best fighters I’ve fought,“ Nurmaganbet said via translator. “After this fight, I believe I will understand my career. This is a very big chance for me to show some results.”

Nurmaganbet (14-0, 12 KOs), who was an accomplished amateur before turning pro in 2020, has won his last 10 fights by stoppage or knockout. In that stretch, the Kazakh southpaw hasn’t fought beyond three rounds and won by second-round stoppage in his last fight against Encarnacion Diaz (20-6, 11 KO) on April 5.

Nurmaganbet, 27, is ranked No. 11 by the WBA at super middleweight.

“There are lots of good fighters at this weight,” Nurmaganbet said. “Of course I want to fight the best, but I’m not the decision maker. I have my team, coaches and promoters, and they’ll provide me with the right direction.”

The lone loss of Sumpter’s career was a unanimous decision defeat to undefeated light heavyweight contender Najee Lopez (14-0, 11 KOs) in July 2024. Since that defeat, Sumpter (11-1-1, 9 KOs) has won his last two fights by stoppage.

Should Nurmaganbet emerge victorious on Sept. 10, he plans to fully settle in at super middleweight, which has blossomed into one of the best divisions in boxing. Despite being ranked by the WBA at super middleweight, he hasn’t fought below at 168 pounds since his fifth pro fight in 2021 and has routinely been around 170 pounds since then.

With Nurmaganbet still yet to reach his peak, he’s just focused on taking things one fight at a time before he reaches the upper echelons of the division.

“I’m going in the right direction for the better fights,” Nurmaganbet said. “I’m ready for this fight. No one knows the time frame; it depends on many factors, including the upcoming fight. It’ll take some time to reach the title fights.”