Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez vs. Avni Yildirim - February 27, 2021

[adislav123]

yildirim could see the final bell if he switches between shelling up & riding his bike but he won't win a single round.

if yildirim thinks he can hold his ground & trade (which unfortunately is exactly what he does) it will be over pretty quick, he's stiff as a board and barely moves his head.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Alvarez-Yildirim tickets on sale

Tickets for Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez vs. Avni Yidirim on Saturday February 27th at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, are on general sale now. The event is live worldwide on DAZN (excluding Mexico) or on cable/satellite pay-per-view in the U.S. and Canada. Tickets, starting at $55, are on sale now at Ticketmaster. Alvarez (54-1-2 36 KOs) cemented himself as the top super middleweight in the world with a dominant win over previously unbeaten Briton Callum Smith in San Antonio, Texas in December with the WBA and vacant WBC belts on the line in front of a sold-out socially distanced crowd in Texas. The inactive Yildirim (21-2 12 KOs) has been biding his time to fight for the WBC title once again, having been frustrated in his last outing when his clash for the vacant crown with Anthony Dirrell in Minnesota in February 2019, with the clash ending in a technical decision win for Dirrell after he suffered a cut over his eye.

The undercard in support of the main event is lead by Mexico's Julio Cesar Martinez defending his WBC World Flyweight title against mandatory challenger McWilliams Arroyo of Puerto Rico. Martinez (17-1 13 KOs) puts his title on the line for the third time since landing the belt in December 2019 in a stoppage win over Cristofer Rosales, outpointing Jay Harris in Dallas in February and blasting away Moises Calleros in two rounds in Mexico City in October. Arroyo (20-4 15 KOs) has been ready to pounce on his shot at the title and win a World strap at the third time of asking. The decorated Puerto Rican amateur was edged out via split decision by IBF champion Amnat Ruenroeng in September 2014 and then fell to pound-for-pound star Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez in April 2016 for the WBC and Ring Magazine crowns in California.

Chinese heavyweight Zhilei Zhang make a quick return to action over ten rounds against Jerry Forrest, and a host of young talents get the chance to shine on the card in the form of Diego Pacheco. (10-0 8 KOs), Alexis Espino (6-0 4 KOs), Marc Castro (1-0 1 KO) and Aaron Aponte (1-0 1 KO).

[Ruthless-RKO]

Hopefully Canelo doesn’t injure his hands knocking Avni out.

Canelo vs. BJS has been confirmed for the first week of May.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Undercard Press Release

Amateur sensation Keyshawn Davis will make his professional debut on the undercard of Canelo Alvarez’s defense of his WBC, WBC Super and Ring Magazine World Super-Middleweight titles against Avni Yildirim on February 27 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, live worldwide on DAZN (except Mexico).

Davis makes his hotly anticipated pro bow on the star-studded card at the home of the Miami Dolphins, as the former 2017 Golden Gloves champion and 2019 World Championship silver medalist gets the chance to show his credentials on the biggest of stages.

The Norfolk, VA. talent, who celebrates his 22nd birthday the day after his debut, starts life on the same card as old foe Marc Castro, who made his own debut on Canelo’s undercard in Texas in December, and like Castro, has the brightest of futures in the pro game.

“I am so blessed to have the opportunity to have my long-awaited pro debut featured on the Canelo undercard, thank you to the team at Matchroom,” said Davis.

“I have been working diligently my entire career for my moment on February 27. This truly feels like a dream come true. My 22nd birthday is February 28. My win against my opponent will be the best birthday gift to date.

“A special thank you to the ones that have pushed me the hardest: My brothers, Kelvin and Keon Davis, my mother, Wanda Davis, and my sisters, Shanice and Shantel Davis. Also thank you to my friends, my former teammates, my fans, and my team. Without your unwavering support over the years leading up to this moment, none of this would be possible.

“My time is NOW. I am who and what they have been waiting for.”

“I’m delighted to have such a special talent in Keyshawn Davis make his pro debut on the Canelo card,’ said Eddie Hearn. “Keyshawn is one of the hottest young fighters in the States and is bound to be a big hit in the pro ranks – Davis has the world at his feet and it’s great for him to start his journey on the undercard of the pound-for-pound king, Canelo.”

Davis makes his introduction to the professional ranks on a stellar bill in Miami, topped by Canelo’s clash with mandatory challenger Yildirim.

Julio Cesar Martinez defending his WBC World Flyweight title against mandatory challenger McWilliams Arroyo, Chinese Heavyweight star Zhilei Zhang faces Jerry Forrest over ten rounds, and a host of young talents get the chance to shine on the card in the form of Diego Pacheco, Alexis Espino, Marc Castro and Aaron Aponte.

TICKETS ARE ON GENERAL SALE NOW FROM TICKETMASTER – TICKETS START AT $55 (PLUS FEES) – FANS CAN VISIT HARDROCKSTADIUM.COM FOR MORE DETAILS

[Cent0089]

I can imagine Alvarez will be at least 100:1 favorite here

[margaret thatcher]

i dunno, i think yildirim looks pretty impressive here, although of course he's not a ring rated fighter

[Betro09]

Yeah it is a weird stoppage, also the fight took place behind closed doors. but the guy was knocked down a couple rounds earlier.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Canelo-Yildirim Card Offered On Pay-Per-View For $49.99, As Well As DAZN

A second straight Canelo Alvarez fight will be made available via traditional pay-per-view outlets, as well as DAZN.

Boxing Scene has confirmed that the Alvarez-Avni Yildirim show scheduled for February 27 in Miami will be offered for $49.99 through numerous cable and satellite companies in the United States. If viewers watch Alvarez-Yildirim on DAZN, it would be considerably cheaper than watching it on pay-per-view.

DAZN costs $19.99 for a one-month subscription, or $8.33 per month if consumers purchase a one-year subscription for $99.99. If a buyer opts to purchase just one month of DAZN to watch Alvarez-Yildirim, though, it’d also include access to DAZN through April without any additional cost.

Despite DAZN’s “death to pay-per-view” mantra in its infancy, offering Alvarez-Yildirim on pay-per-view will provide another revenue stream among boxing fans who wouldn’t watch Alvarez-Yildirim on DAZN for various reasons.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Yildirim: We Will Do Our Best To Bring The Green and Gold Belt Home To Turkey

Avni Yildirim enters as a considerable underdog ahead of his upcoming challenge versus pound-for-pound king Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.

That hasn’t prevented an entire nation from standing tall with its favorite son. As much has been acknowledged by the super middleweight contender, who vows that the Feb. 27 unified 168-pound title fight will end with his serving as the lone active champion out of Turkey.

“It will be my chance to win the most important fight as the son of this country,” Yildirim insisted during a press conference Thursday afternoon at CVK Park Bosphorus Hotel in Istanbul. “I hope that we move forward with the prayers of the Turkish people.”

Istanbul’s Yildirim (21-2, 12 KOs) has not fought since a technical decision loss to Anthony Dirrell in the Feb. 2019 vacant WBC super middleweight title fight. The manner in which the fight ended—Dirrell suffering a horrific cut from a clash of heads and the fight being stopped two rounds later—was enough for the WBC to consider a formal appeal from Yildirim and career-long promoter Ahmet Öner to allow him to remain in contention for a second title shot.

Dirrell has since lost to David Benavidez, who in turn lost the title at the scale after missing weight ahead of his 10th round knockout of Alexis Angulo last August.

Yildirim remained the number-one contender, was believed to have hit the jackpot when Alvarez (54-1-2, 36 KOs) enforced his WBC “Franchise” champion status to challenge for the vacant title. He still has, though it would require having to wait two more months. Alvarez instead faced England’s Callum Smith, scoring a lopsided points win to collect the WBC and WBA belts which will be at stake in his Feb. 27 mandatory title defense versus Yildirim.

The two-year wait wasn’t ideal, although it gave Yildirim time to recover from separate injuries which left him unable to compete for all of 2020.

“Since my last fight, I had some minor injuries, the pandemic affected me, but we were patient and we continued working,” notes Yildirim. “I continued my training in the United States and Germany for 21 months outside my country. I did not give up.”

Nor has a nation ceased believing in him, no matter the odds.

“Avni and professional boxing in Turkey is at a very high level that no boxer in the country has reached so far,” Eyup Gözgec, president of the Turkish Boxing Federation stated. “Whatever the outcome of this fight is an inspiration to all young athletes. I want to thank Ahmed Oner for everything he has achieved for boxing in Turkey.

“I wish Avni Y?ld?r?m success. A true champion. I believe with all my heart that Avni will win this important fight.”

Yildirim and his team are prepared to live up to those lofty expectations.
“Avni will definitely bring this green and gold belt home,” vowed Öner. “On February [27th] he will show his quality to the whole world. All the work that has been done will pay off. This will be a great fight and a great event for Turkey. Win or lose I am sure Yildirim will leave his soul in the ring for his country.”

It remains to be seen whether Yildirim can upset the odds, with few if any picking against Alvarez—a four-division champ and the consensus pick as the best fighter in the world today. It’s a moment for which he’s waited two years in order to disprove his critics.

“It is said that the end of the patience is salvation, patience is a good sign,” notes Yildirim. “We have done everything to win this important fight. I trust my coach Joel Diaz, who has helped me to improve significantly.

“It is a great honor to represent my country on such a big stage. We will do our very best to bring the WBC green and gold belt to our country.”

[Eolaithe]

It's kind of funny, who would have guessed that within six months of dropping his lawsuit against DAZN and becoming a promotional and network free agent, Canelo would have three fights televised by the very same streaming service.

[Ruthless-RKO]

It's kind of funny, who would have guessed that within six months of dropping his lawsuit against DAZN and becoming a promotional and network free agent, Canelo would have three fights televised by the very same streaming service.

Differences though.

The previous deal was an 11-fight fixed deal, though GBP.

Now he's working with them on a fight-by-fight basis. Not tied down. He's fought on DAZN, why? Because he's fighting Matchroom guys Smith and Saunders. Let's not deny, Hearn can pull strings. He's got control and if that means he can co-promote Canelo fights, he'll take it.

After the Saunders fight, DAZN don't know if Canelo will ever do business with them again. The Plant fight will likely be Showtime/FOX PPV.

Better now, he has options. Surprised it took him this long.

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

Fight Week

[Ruthless-RKO]

Is it me or has there been like no hype promo for this?

[vostok]

Which one is worse... ..Fielding or Yıldırım?

[Cent0089]

Which one is worse... ..Fielding or Yıldırım?

They are same level. At least Canelo dealing with this trash mandatory 2 months after his last fight and still will be able to fight in may. In comparsion, it will be almost one and half year since Beterbiev last fight, just to have that poor match vs Adam Deines lol.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Canelo, Yildirim, Martinez Arrive in Miami, Florida

[Enlightened-One]

Avni Yildirim will provide Canelo with the weakest challenge he's faced he Chavez Jr. mismatch.

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

Fielding was pretty crappy too. Steve rolls crappy

Oh well some fights to line pockets is expected

[Ruthless-RKO]

Canelo: I Don't Care About Critics Of Yildirim Fight; They'll Never Be Happy With Anything

Canelo Alvarez hasn’t paid much mind to critics complaining about him fighting Avni Yildirim on Saturday night.

After hearing and reading some of their dismissive assessments of his dominant win against Callum Smith, Alvarez realizes there is a faction of fans and media he’ll never be able to satisfy. Alvarez’s adversaries have taken issue with perhaps the best boxer in the sport, pound-for-pound, opposing such a huge underdog.

Most Internet sports books list Alvarez as a 50-1 favorite to defeat Turkey’s Yildirim in the main event of a card DAZN will stream from Hard Rock Stadium in nearby Miami Gardens, home of the NFL’s Dolphins.

“I don’t have to give any explanation [for fighting Yildirim],” Alvarez told Boxing Scene. “I really don’t have to give any explanation because they’re never gonna be happy with anything. I just fought number one at 168 pounds [Smith], and they’re not happy with that, either. So, I have nothing to say and nothing to explain. I don’t care.”

While heavily favored, Alvarez (54-1-2, 36 KOs) will return to the ring just 10 weeks after decisively defeating England’s Smith (27-1, 19 KOs) in their 12-rounder December 19 at Alamodome in San Antonio.

Mexico’s Alvarez also was required to fight Yildirim next as part of an agreement he and Smith made with the WBC when the Mexico City-based governing organization agreed to sanction their fight for its then-vacant 168-pound championship. Yildirim has long been the WBC’s mandatory challenger in the super middleweight division.

The WBC would’ve stripped the 30-year-old Alvarez had he not made a mandated defense against Yildirim next. Not only did Alvarez pay a sizeable sanctioning fee to fight for the WBC belt just two months ago, vacating it would’ve prohibited the four-division champion from pursuing full title unification at super middleweight.

The 29-year-old Yildirim (21-2, 12 KOs) hasn’t fought since losing a technical decision to Anthony Dirrell in February 2019 at The Armory in Minneapolis. A cut above Dirrell’s left eye caused that premature stoppage after the 10th round and enabled Dirrell to regain the WBC super middleweight title, which was vacant because David Benavidez was stripped for testing positive for cocaine the previous August.

Benavidez regained that title from Dirrell (33-2-1, 24 KOs), whom he knocked out in the ninth round of their September 2019 bout at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The WBC stripped Benavidez (23-0, 20 KOs) of his belt again after he came in nearly three pounds overweight for a title defense against Alexis Angulo on August 15 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

That enabled Alvarez and Smith to fight for the WBC belt four months later.

Before Dirrell defeated him, Yildirim had won five consecutive fights after Chris Eubank Jr. (29-2, 22 KOs) knocked him out in the third round of their October 2017 fight in Stuttgart, Germany.

“I see a strong fighter,” Alvarez said of Yildirim. “I see a fighter that goes forward, obviously. He has lots of courage. He can be dangerous at any moment because he is a strong fighter. There’s no doubt that I am a fighter that has more qualities, obviously. But in boxing, you must always, always be aware.”

[gregregegg]

The toughest part of this fight for Canelo will be the weight cut. and it wont be that tough.

[apollo creed]

It's very strange that a guy like Yldirim (a fighter who got KO'd by Eubank Jr in 2017, and his last fight which he lost it was in 2019-02-23 against Dirrell) gets such a big opportunity to fight the cash-cow of boxing??!!

I wonder if Benavidez was Canelo's no. 1 mandatory challenger (as normally it should've been), would Canelo have been fighting Benavidez immediately, next after Smith or he would've pulled out a "I also informed the WBC that I will vacate its title." and "I will not be forced into the ring by artificial deadlines." ?!

[margaret thatcher]

Canelo will beat this non ring ranked fighter like an ugly turkish step child

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

Mandatory excuses are annoying. Canelo is above mandatories hell for years he invented his own weight class

[Cent0089]

Mandatory excuses are annoying. Canelo is above mandatories hell for years he invented his own weight class

Yeah, but he wanna be undisputed at 168. Im glad he is fighting in february and still will be able to fight Saunders in may. He made world class Callum Smith look like B class so i cannot imagine savage beating hes going deliver to Yildrim who actually is B class