Carlos Takam and Jerry Forrest are ready to fight.

The pair of heavyweights will move forward with an assignment neither expected less than three weeks ago, as they collide Thursday evening at MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas, Nevada (ESPN, 8:00pm ET/5:00pm PT).

Cameroon’s Takam (38-5-1, 28KOs) weighed in at 245.7 pounds for an assignment he accepted in late June. Forrest (26-3, 20KOs) checked in at 225.6 pounds for the scheduled 10-round main event.

Takam was originally due to face Canada’s Oscar Rivas, but the bout was scrapped when Rivas was unable to move forward in present form. Takam wisely remained in fighting shape, and was in a position to step in for disgraced heavyweight Jarrell Miller, who racked up his fifth official positive drug test within the past six years. The latest infraction leaves Miller temporarily suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and likely facing a lengthy ban.

The 39-year old Takam enters riding a three-fight win streak. Forrest— a 32-year old southpaw from Newport News, Virginia—rebounded from a controversial 10-round loss to Jermaine Franklin last July with a 2nd round knockout of Midwestern clubfighter Martez Williamson last September.

In the evening’s co-feature, unbeaten junior featherweight contender Carlos Castro (25-0, 10KOs) faces former title challenger Cesar Juarez (25-8, 19KOs) in a scheduled 10-round clash. Castro weighed 123.8 pounds, while Juarez tipped the scales at 124.5 pounds

Two heavyweight bouts were originally scheduled to take place on Thursday’s show. One fell off, as Jared ‘Big Baby’ Anderson was left without an opponent when Florida’s Hector Perez (7-2, 3KOs) was forced to withdraw due to illness not related to COVID-19.

FULL WEIGHTS

Carlos Takam, 245.7 vs. Jerry Forrest, 225.6—10 rds, Heavyweight           

Carlos Castro, 123.8 vs. Cesar Juarez, 124.5—10 rds, Jr. Featherweight

Joshafat Ortiz, 130.8 vs. Joshua Orta, 132.7*—6 rds, Jr. Lightweight

*Orta is 0.7 lb. over the 132-pound contract limit, has one hour to shed the excess weight

Fred Wilson Jr, 159 vs. Donte Stubbs, 159.5—6 rds, Middleweight

Peter Cortez, 147.5 vs. Corey Champion, 147.6—4 rds, Welterweight

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox