WBO number one light heavyweight contender Anthony Yarde 23-2 (22) has secured a world title shot against WBO, WBC and IBF 175-pound champion Artur Beterbiev 18-0 (18) after knocking out Stefani Koykov 14-2 (12) in the third round at Telford International Centre in Telford, England on Saturday night.
Yarde, who weighed just over 179-pounds for the contest, walked Koykov down and dropped him for the count to score the stoppage at the 2:31 mark of the third.
Britain’s Yarde, 31, has previously fought for a world title when he travelled to Russia to face then-WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev in August 2019. He boxed well early but faded late when the reigning champion’s pressure caught up with him. He was stopped in the penultimate round.
He has gone 5-1 since then, winning all of those bouts by knockout. The only blemish on his record during that time was a split decision loss to Lyndon Arthur. He reversed that result in their rematch with a fourth-round knockout.
Russian Beterbiev, 37, who boxes out of Canada, has never been the distance in his nine year pro career. He claimed the vacant IBF light heavyweight title against Enrico Koelling by 12th round knockout in 2017 and defended the belt twice before meeting then undefeated WBC champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk in 2019. He won that bout by 10th round knockout.
Two more title defences would follow before Beterbiev faced WBO champion Joe Smith Jr in June of this year. He stopped him in two.
The fight between Beterbiev and Yarde will pit two of the biggest punchers in the 175-pound division against each other. The bout will take place at London’s OVO Arena Wembley on Saturday, January 28.
The fight was confirmed after Yarde’s victory over Koykov, giving him scarcely more than three months to prepare.
“January 28 will be my night,” Yarde said. “My destiny playing out in my home city, and this is what I have been longing for throughout my professional career, which started at Wembley.
“I won’t make any big predictions for this fight against a strong unified champion in Artur Beterbiev, but what I will say is that I will leave nothing to chance, and I am at my best when I fight fire with fire.”
Joe Smith Jr tried to fight fire with fire and it didn’t work.
Beterbiev is looking forward to fighting in London for the first time since 2012.
“I never back down from a challenge and Anthony Yarde is a top contender who asked for this fight,” Beterbiev said. “I look forward to fighting in London for the first time since the Olympics.
“Yarde called me ‘slow’ after my fight with Joe Smith Jr, but slow and steady wins the race. And on January 28, I will win in London.”
