An extended-discussed home flyweight rivalry now graces the autumn schedule.
Matchroom Boxing confirmed that Sunny Edwards and Galal Yafai will meet atop a Nov. 3o DAZN present. Their crossroads bout will land at BP Pulse LIVE in Yafai’s hometown of Birmingham, England.
“It is a big struggle for British boxing,” mentioned Matchroom Sport Chairman Eddie Hearn. “I’m delighted to get this one over the road because it’s the fitting struggle for each males.
“For my part these are the most effective two flyweights on the planet. They may conflict for a shot on the world title in entrance of an enormous crowd in Birmingham
Edwards (21-1, 4 knockouts) will hit the street in simply his second struggle after the tip of his IBF title reign. The Ring’s No. 1-rated flyweight is sport for the problem.
“This struggle has all the time been inevitable,” mentioned Edwards. “Our final names maintain weight in British boxing and around the globe – and it’s actually time to place to mattress the Edwards-Yafai Saga.”
Edwards, 28, held the IBF title for almost three years earlier than he bumped into Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez (20-0, 13 KOs) final December. Their Dec. sixteenth unification bout noticed Edwards—a Croydon-bred boxer primarily based in Sheffield—undergo his first profession defeat. He rebounded with a technical resolution win over Adrien Curiel (24-6-1, 5 KOs) on June 29 in Phoenix, Arizona.
The win befell mere miles from his defeat to Rodriguez at Desert Diamond Area in Glendale. His struggle with Curiel wasn’t fairly, notably its ugly ending. Nevertheless it was sufficient to revisit previous enterprise for Edwards.
Talks of the all-British flyweight affair have been in place just about since Yafai (7-0, 5 KOs) turned professional. An bold schedule adopted the Olympic Gold medalist lower than a yr after his 2021 haul in Tokyo.
There isn’t any doubt that Yafai has earned his maintain. Nevertheless, his success story is a reminder of the roadblocks endured by his future opponemt.
“Being missed for the Olympic Video games due to household relationships and metropolis ties – lit a hearth all these years again,” famous Edwards. “I beat Galal and was shelved in the identical yr again in 2015 and now that is my likelihood to point out Britain who the true golden boy is.”
There isn’t any doubt that Yafai can have one thing to say about that.
The 31-year-old southpaw has shortly risen via the ranks since his Feb. 2022 professional debut. All seven bouts have been scheduled for ten rounds, a mark he’s gone twice so far.
Simply three fights have taken place on UK soil. He fought in Dubai and 3 times within the U.S., together with his final outing. Yafai impressed in an eighth-round stoppage of Agustin Gauto (21-2, 15 KOs) in Las Vegas.
He now heads house for by far the most important and most difficult struggle of his profession.
“I’m glad that the struggle has been made,” mentioned Yafai. “That is going to be an enormous struggle for British boxing. I must win a World Title, and this can be a struggle that can put me on the cusp of preventing for one after I win in my hometown on November 30.”
