Avni Yildirim’s worst night as a professional fighter occurred on Oct. 17, 2017, when Chris Eubank Jr. landed a brutal left hook to knock out the normally rugged Turkish fighter in three rounds.
And both fans and journalists won’t let him forget it.
That fight is one of many reasons Yildirim is given little to no chance of beating super middleweight titleholder Canelo Alvarez on Saturday night at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami (DAZN).
Yildirm is tired of hearing the name Eubank.
“I want to tell you something,” he told Boxing Junkie on Wednesday. “Many of the journalists want to mention Eubank. That was 3½ years ago. After that, I had many fights. If you want to see my performance, come see it on Saturday.
“… I want to show something to people. I’m here. I’m ready.”
Yildirim (21-2, 12 KOs) has had some success post-Eubank. He won five consecutive fights, albeit against second-tier opposition. And, in his most-recent fight two years ago, he lost a 10-round technical decision against Anthony Dirrell – a fight shortened because of a cut above Dirrell’s left eye — for the then-vacant WBC 168-pound title.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J512f1Omhg
The Dirrell fight might’ve been Yildirim’s best performance given the quality of his opponent. Two judges scored it 96-94 (six rounds to four) while third had Yildirim up 98-92.
Still, Alvarez has climbed to roughly a 30-1 favorite to win the fight as of Wednesday evening, according to BetMGM. In other words, he’s in roughly the same boat as Buster Douglas against Mike Tyson and, later, Evander Holyfield and Tyson.
Yes, he has a chance, however small.
Yildirim’s nickname – “The Robot” – illustrates his come-forward, offense-oriented fighting style. That approach didn’t work against Eubank and it is unlikely to be effective against Alvarez, a hard, accurate puncher.
Yildirim seemed to acknowledge his limitations when he hired respected trainer Joel Diaz to help him prepare for this fight. Two things jumped out at Diaz immediately: He works hard and he listens, which has led to some improvement.
Perhaps you could call him Robot 2.0.
“When Avni came to me for the first time, I was surprised [by] his boxing ability,” Diaz told ESPN. “He had no defense whatsoever. He was a straightforward fighter, taking punches to give punches.
“We dedicated time to him to teach him more defense, more offense, more movement. … [But] I noticed that he was willing to learn. He never complains in the gym.
“I put him through some of the most extreme exercises and he never says no, he never complains. He’s mentally focused. He knows, in front of us, we have a tough task. With group preparation, we can become victorious.
“I am with him 100% from beginning to end.”
Beginning to end has been quite some time for Yildirim. He became the mandatory challenger not long after David Benavidez stopped Dirrell to win the WBC title in September 2019, after which Benavidez lost the belt on the scales.
Yildirim then stepped aside so Alvarez could fight Callum Smith for the vacant title on Dec. 19 with the understand that Yildirim would face the winner, although he undoubtedly was also paid X amount for his trouble. Alvarez won a one-sided decision.
So now it’s Yildirim’s turn, a chance – however faint – to realize the dreams he’s had since he first stepped into an Istanbul gym at 13 years old.
The oddsmakers and the doubters in general can go you know where. He isn’t showing up simply for a payday and 15 minutes of fame. His plan is to shock the world, a la Douglas and Holyfield.
“I want to accomplish so many things I my life,” he said. “This fight is needed for that. It’s a great chance for me, to reach my goals. I’m not speaking about money. I’m speaking about honor. I want to be remembered as a superstar in boxing.
“I want to be remembered as a great champion.”
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