Sunny Edwards-Galal Yafai All-UK Flyweight Clash Set, Nov. 30 In Birmingham
A long-discussed domestic flyweight rivalry now graces the fall schedule.
Matchroom Boxing confirmed that Sunny Edwards and Galal Yafai will meet atop a Nov. 3o DAZN show. Their crossroads bout will land at BP Pulse LIVE in Yafai’s hometown of Birmingham, England.
“This is a huge fight for British boxing,” said Matchroom Sport Chairman Eddie Hearn. “I’m delighted to get this one over the line as it’s the right fight for both men.
“In my opinion these are the best two flyweights in the world. They will clash for a shot at the world title in front of a huge crowd in Birmingham
Edwards (21-1, 4 knockouts) will hit the road in just his second fight after the end of his IBF title reign. The Ring’s No. 1-rated flyweight is game for the challenge.
“This fight has always been inevitable,” said Edwards. “Our last names hold weight in British boxing and around the world – and it’s really time to put to bed the Edwards-Yafai Saga.”
Edwards, 28, held the IBF title for nearly three years before he ran into Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez (20-0, 13 KOs) last December. Their Dec. 16th unification bout saw Edwards—a Croydon-bred boxer based in Sheffield—suffer his first career defeat. He rebounded with a technical decision win over Adrien Curiel (24-6-1, 5 KOs) on June 29 in Phoenix, Arizona.
The win took place mere miles from his defeat to Rodriguez at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale. His fight with Curiel wasn’t pretty, particularly its gruesome ending. But it was enough to revisit past business for Edwards.
Talks of the all-British flyweight affair have been in place virtually since Yafai (7-0, 5 KOs) turned pro. An ambitious schedule followed the Olympic Gold medalist less than a year after his 2021 haul in Tokyo.
There is no doubt that Yafai has earned his keep. However, his success story is a reminder of the roadblocks endured by his future opponemt.
“Being overlooked for the Olympic Games because of family relationships and city ties – lit a fire all those years back,” noted Edwards. “I beat Galal and was shelved in the same year back in 2015 and now this is my chance to show Britain who the real golden boy is.”
There is no doubt that Yafai will have something to say about that.
The 31-year-old southpaw has quickly risen through the ranks since his Feb. 2022 pro debut. All seven bouts have been scheduled for ten rounds, a mark he’s gone twice thus far.
Just three fights have taken place on UK soil. He fought in Dubai and three times in the U.S., including his last outing. Yafai impressed in an eighth-round stoppage of Agustin Gauto (21-2, 15 KOs) in Las Vegas.
He now heads home for by far the biggest and most challenging fight of his career.
“I’m happy that the fight has been made,” said Yafai. “This is going to be a massive fight for British boxing. I need to win a World Title, and this is a fight that will put me on the cusp of fighting for one when I win in my hometown on November 30.”
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