Kal Yafai content in retirement, rules out comeback
“No, I’m long gone, long gone,” smiles 2008 Olympian and former WBA junior bantamweight champion Kal Yafai. “But the good thing is that I look back on my own career and I think I’m content with it. You know, like I’ve done what I set out to do and I’ve done more than what I thought probably I could have achieved and that’s it.”
The retired Yafai, eldest of three boxing brothers from Birmingham, held his WBA title from 2016-2020 and called it a day with a 27-2 (15 KOs) record. He recently turned 36, but has no desire to return, making brother Galal the only one of the three brothers, including Gamal – who won professional European honors – still boxing.
Yafai, promoted by Matchroom throughout his career, remained amateur after the 2008 Olympics but did not turn pro until 2012.
His only losses came to the brilliant Roman Gonzalez and, in his last fight, to Jonathan Rodriguez in November 2023.
“I had a good run at it,” said Yafai. “I beat a good fighter [Luis Concepcion] for my world title and then, you know, I’ve got my first defense [against Suguru Muranaka] at home and I’ve boxed on some big shows, you know, [Anthony] Joshua-[Carlos] Takam in Cardiff [against Shu Ishida], fought in Monte Carlo, fought in California, Providence, all over… Abu Dhabi, LA, all over, so it’s good.”
While younger brother Galal is still a world-ranked fighter and a resolution is yet to be determined about his recent fight with Francisco Rodriguez (the Mexican posted an adverse finding in his post-fight drugs test), Kal and Gamal have focused more on their amateur boxing roots and both help fighters at the Birmingham City Amateur Boxing Club.
While Kal misses the adrenaline of fight night, he is content with his career and has little desire to box competitively again.
“Not really,” he said. “And, to be fair, I was one of them fighters that I’d be sitting around on fight day, all day, ‘I can’t wait to just go, yeah, we’re going down the stairs now. We’re getting picked up to go… because I know I’ve got everything in my bag, what I need. I’ve got my playlist ready. I can’t wait to get my hands done [wrapped]. I can’t wait to get my shorts on.’ I kind of buzz off all that kind of stuff. But yeah, I have to move on.”
And it has always been the case that he gets more nervous for his brothers’ fights than his own.
“A hundred per cent,” he said. “Way, way more. You can’t control it [their fights]. I get way more nervous.”