When Russian-Armenian boxer David Avanesyan arrived in England in search of training, he didn’t speak a word of English. On Saturday, February 18, he makes the first defense of his world title. English manager Neil Marsh could never have predicted what his fighter David Avanesyan would achieve in such a short space of time.

“Words can't explain how happy I am for all involved. I'm very proud for David. This is my biggest achievement and first world champion I have managed,” Marsh said to RT Sport

Merely months ago, the two were introduced by a promoter and struck up a close relationship. In that time, Avanesyan has won the interim WBA world welterweight title, defended it against a ring legend in the United States, and been elevated to world champion.

He currently has a professional record of 22 wins and only one defeat, with half of those wins coming by way of knockout, and conducts training under Carl Greaves in Nottingham, England, and trains and spars with some of the best fighters in Britain.

“David’s been with me something like a year and five months now,” says Greaves. “Eighteen months ago David didn’t speak a word of English, so you can imagine how difficult it was for us. But as time goes by we got a good understanding and we bounce off each other really. It’s a great relationship.”

“We have a great relationship. I’m with him day and night from Monday morning to Friday dinner training two or three times a day. When we’re not training we’re at my house studying the fights.”

His surroundings are wildly different from those of his hometown in Pyatigorsk, close to his family’s homeland of Armenia, to which he has extremely close ties.

“How proud he is of both countries – Russia and Armenia – and family. His culture seems more close than that of many I see in the UK,” Marsh says.

Soon after arriving in England, Avanesyan captured the interim WBA world welterweight title in Monaco in 2014, with a vicious display of body punching to record a 9th-round KO. He then faced American all-time great ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley, defeating the former three-weight world champ on points.

The fight against Mosley catapulted Avanesyan onto the world stage, and soon after he was elevated to full world champion. Later tonight he will make the first defense of his world title against former world champ Lamont Peterson in Cincinnati, Ohio.

"I can say that I am 100% ready for this fight, as it’s been a really tough training camp. My team and I have been through a huge amount of productive work. I’m ready to and am looking forward to this fight," Avanesyan said.

"Lamont Peterson is a very tough, worthy opponent, a really decent fighter and a former world champion himself. The main threat he poses for me is that he is the challenger to my belt."