Considering the goal of ending plans for an ambitious 2021 by becoming the first undisputed champion at £ 168, United super-middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez is forced to make Saturday’s return to Avni Yildirim as a means to an end. purpose considered.
Alvarez (54-1-2, 36 KOs) is a 40-1 favorite to defeat his obligatory challenger as the pair of 168-pound fighters touch gloves in front of 15,000 social distance fans at Miami Hard Rock Stadium for Alvarez ‘s WBA and WBC titles.
Although Yildirim (21-2, 12 KOs), a 29-year-old native of Turkey, is very wild and aggressive as a rough fighter, few give him more than a small slap in the face because most expect the Mexican superstar ‘ an exciting knockout blow in his first fight in South Florida since Raul Pinzon was stopped in the first round in 2008.
“I hope so, I hope it’s a knockout blow, because people like to watch knockout blows a lot, but I’m ready for anything,” Alvarez told Morning Kombat this week.
Can’t get enough boxing and MMA? Get the latest in the world of martial arts from two of the best in the business. Sign up for Morning Kombat with Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell for the best analysis and in-depth news, including a full preview of Canelo vs. Yildirim.
Alvarez is uncomfortable this week when any mention was made of the bets, or if it was pointed out that Yildirim, who had a two-year dismissal and a loss in his last fight, did not shout, opportunity.
In his defense, Alvarez pointed out how little respect he gained in December by dominating undefeated champion Callum Smith before announcing a return just two months later. He has kicked off an ambitious plan for four fights this year, including two singles matches.
Alvarez, 30, does not believe there is another fighter at 160 or 168 pounds who deserves to be defeated, but he looks past Yildirim and respects what his hungry opponent brings to the table. The two fighters teamed up earlier in 2018 when Alvarez brought in Yildiirm to help prepare him for a rematch against Gennadiy Golovkin.
“He’s a strong fighter. He’s fierce,” Alvarez said. “He’s always there and pushing. At any moment he is dangerous.
“That’s what we thought with Callum Smith, but the truth is, I’m at my best moment and I find it really hard to see anyone giving me problems.”
Yildirim enlisted the help of renowned coach Joel Diaz to help him refine his first facial style in preparation for Alvarez’s counterattacks. Yet it is Alvarez’s own coach, Eddy Reynoso, who has finally started receiving what Alvarez believes is a long-awaited recognition as one of the top coaches in the game.
In addition to Alvarez, who he trained from Day 1 of the four-division champion’s career in 2005, Reynoso recently led unbeaten lightweight Ryan Garcia to the biggest win of his young career in January over Luke Campbell and junior lightweight champion Oscar Valdez last week. to an upset knockout blow from Miguel Berchelt.
“This is a very important relationship between the fighter and his coach,” Alvarez said. “[Reynoso] was with me from the beginning and taught me everything. Now that he gets the honor he deserves, I knew all along. ‘
The co-main event is the prospect of fighting some flyweights for an interim crown while McWilliams Arroyo tackles the fight against Abraham Rodriguez. The lock was originally booked for WBC flyweight champion Julio Cesar Martinez to tackle Arroyo, but Martinez was forced to withdraw due to a hand injury. Arroyo has won three in a row since 2019 with 15 heats in 20 wins in his career. Rodriguez has won four in a row but loses his only other fight on American soil against Angel Acosta in 2018.
Plus, Zhilei Zhang will take on Jerry Forrest in a popular heavyweight fight. Zhang, 37, has an unbeaten record of 22-0 with 17 knockouts. He has scored a knockout blow in eight of his last nine fights since 2017, with Audriy Rudenko taking him to the distance. Forrest, meanwhile, has 20 knockouts in 26 career wins, but lost by decision two of three, including to Carlos Takam in July last year.
Fighting card, chance
- Canelo Alvarez (c) -6000 vs. Avni Yildirim +1700, united super middleweight titles
- Zhilei Zhang -575 vs. Jerry Forrest +450, Heavyweights
- Diego Pacheco -3500 vs. Rodolfo Gomez Jr. +1400, middleweights
- Alexis Espino vs. Ashton Sykes, super middleweights
View information
- Date: February 27 | Location: Hard Rock Stadium – Miami Gardens, Florida
- Start Time: 19:00 ET (main meeting for approximately 22:00 ET)
- TV: Traditional PPV (look at local lists)
- How to watch / stream: DAZN (sign up now)
Forecast
Alvarez is currently the best boxer in the world. But is he so much bigger than Yildirim for being such a betting favorite?
In some ways, the answer is no. Yildirim will have a height advantage of almost four inches over Alvarez, which is small for the 168-pound division despite good power. But in many other ways, it’s hard not to look at this, but just a busy fight that should not have passed the first few rounds.
Unless Yildirim can be the line to be dirty and force Alvarez into a fight by hurting him early, the gap in everything from speed to technique leans overwhelmingly in Alvarez’s favor. In fact, Yildirim looks a lot more like the threat maker James Kirkland brought with him during his 2015 game with Alvarez, in which he was hacked out in three rounds and knocked out cold than anyone else Alvarez has encountered in recent years.
Watch Alvarez be patient in the opening round as he navigates distance before catching Yildirim with a clean capital letter on his way to end the fight.
Choose: Alvarez via KO3
Who will win Alvarez over Yildirim? And which prop is a must-have? Visit SportsLine now to see Peter Kahn’s best bets for Saturday, all of the fighting game manager who has been boxing 32-8 since the sport returned, and find out.