Delicious Orie is under no illusions about the challenges that lie ahead of him as a professional fighter. Slowly but surely, the heavyweight debutante knows he will learn exactly what the paid ranks are all about.

Following a successful amateur career with Team GB, in which he won European and Commonwealth gold medals before competing at the Paris Olympics last summer, Orie made the decision to turn pro earlier this year after snubbing an offer from the WWE.

Orie signed with Frank Warren's Queensberry Promotions and will make his debut this Saturday on the Joe Joyce-Filip Hrgovic card at Manchester's Co-Op Live Arena, which will be streamed live on DAZN.

The 27-year-old was born in Moscow but he moved to the UK as a youngster and after hearing about Anthony Joshua's heavyweight world title success against Charles Martin in April 2016, Orie was sold.

Nine years later, his journey as a prizefighter begins, and he knows just how different it will be to the amateurs.

"It's funny because in the amateurs, you go in with a different mentality," Orie told The Ring. "It's like, yeah, okay, I'm going in there, I'm going to point score and I'm going to win. This time is a bit different.

"This time I'm going in there, I'm going to have to hurt someone and I'm going to win. It's a bit more spiteful. It'll be interesting to see what happens.

"However, I am going in there with a different mentality. It's a different mindset. It's the same thing in terms of, yeah, I'm going to win.

"But as much as I want to look good, I need to damage my opponent. I know it sounds a bit sinister, but that's just pro boxing. The mentality is slightly different.

Will I knock the opponent out? I don't know, but I'm going in there with intent."

Orie has chosen to train up in Sheffield close to where he spent his formative years as a fighter at the English Institute of Sport. Steel City Gym's Grant Smith will lead his corner.

It's been a 'fantastic' learning experience for Orie, but he admits nerves are there over his change of boxing style.

He said: "I've had a good few weeks of sparring six rounds very, very regularly. It's normally a sharp three or four rounds on a frequent basis.

"I'm noticing a change in my style. There is a little bit of that anticipation. That's why the nerves are there because I know that my style is slightly adaptive and I'm eager to know whether it's actually going to be effective in a professional boxing ring.

"I'm very, very confident in Grant and what he's given to me in a very short space of time. I'm really looking forward to it. I'm quite eager and a little bit nervous, I have to say, to basically go and do that, what I've been learning for the past few months."

Though Saturday night will be a hugely important and serious environment for Orie, he's been able to enjoy the smaller details, like choosing his ring-walk music and fight shorts. His family will also be in attendance. He notes that as an amateur he spent most of his time boxing outside of the UK.

"It's a little bit like showbiz, isn't it?" He adds. "I noticed that picking my shorts was weird. When I designed my shorts, it was like I had absolutely no idea what I wanted. I'm just used to bringing red or blue kits or vests.

"You get told whether you're wearing red or blue, you don't even choose. That's it. It's weird being able to add sparkles and stuff to my shorts.

"I also like the fact that it's in the UK and all my friends and family can come up and watch me. It's different in the amateurs.

"It's not very often we fight in the UK, fight all over the world, but not in the UK. You're boxing with three people in the leisure centre against world number one."

There'll be big expectations on Orie from the outset. He has the name, the look and hopefully for British fight fans, an exciting style in the ring.

English, British, Commonwealth and European titles will be the goal for the first 10-15 fights of his career, but one day, he's hoping he can replicate what he saw from AJ on that night at the O2 Arena nine years ago.

"I know that I can get to that level," Orie said. "I've matured and I've got the experience that I need. But at the same time, we have to be sensible.

"I trust my team to get me as many fights as possible, to get the experience, as much experience as they possibly can, in order to then go on, challenge for that British belt first and foremost. "