Middleweight titlist Gennady Golovkin is a month away from his defense against Marco Antonio Rubio (whose interim belt absurdly will also be on the line) on Oct. 18 (HBO) at the StubHub Center in Carson, California, and it is clear that Golovkin is already in fantastic condition.

At a 30-day WBC-ordered weight check, Golovkin, training with Abel Sanchez in Big Bear Lake, California, was already down to 165 pounds, just five away from the division limit.

Rubio, meanwhile, who is training with Robert Garcia in Oxnard, California, was 174½ pounds, which is still inside the allowed limit with a month to go. The fighters needed to be inside 176 pounds.

Golovkin (30-0, 27 KOs), boxing's most exciting fighter, will be making his 11th title defense and aiming for an 18th consecutive knockout. Rubio (59-6-1, 51 KOs) claimed an interim belt by 10th-round knockout of Domenico Spada on April 5.

In the co-feature, Nonito Donaire (33-2, 21 KOs) and Nicholas Walters (24-0, 20 KOs) meet in a featherweight title bout.