Harlem Eubank Maintains Unbeaten Record with Points Victory Over Nurali Erdogan

Harlem Eubank maintained his undefeated record, achieving the 20th professional win of his career by securing a points decision against Nurali Erdogan in Newcastle. He received a point deduction in the final round for holding. The 30-year-old boxer, competing for the first time in the welterweight division, delivered a largely inconsistent performance over the course of eight rounds against his French opponent, Erdogan. The contest was unanimously scored in Eubank’s favor by all three judges, with scores of 77-73, 79-70, and 77-72. Regarding the bout, Eubank commented, “Different style tonight, first fight at welterweight, tough guy who just wanted to tie up.” He added, “I went in there to get the job done. A unanimous decision win, I’m happy.” Addressing the frequent grappling, Eubank attributed it to his opponent, stating, “I felt strong in there, the grabbing made it difficult.” Eubank, whose last fight was more than a year prior, displayed clear indications of ring rust, struggling to establish his rhythm throughout the contest. The 27-year-old Erdogan, with only one stoppage among his 16 victories, was anticipated to be a manageable introduction to the welterweight category; however, Eubank’s performance was unpolished from the outset. While Eubank received multiple warnings for holding, it was Erdogan who ultimately had two points deducted for the same infraction during the latter half of the fight. In a contest largely devoid of significant action, Eubank was briefly staggered by a left hook in the fifth round, yet he remained otherwise unaffected by Erdogan, who appeared physically larger. Eubank, who contended with a cut for the final two rounds, eventually incurred a point deduction in the closing minutes; nevertheless, Erdogan’s earlier point deductions had already ensured the British fighter’s victory. Eubank, a cousin of professional boxer Chris Eubank Jr, had been scheduled to compete against Adam Azim in the light-welterweight division. However, that bout did not take place, despite the two boxers having a face-off in the ring in March during the Fabio Wardley versus Frazer Clarke event. When discussing future contests, neither Eubank nor his management team referenced Azim, but they did indicate their aim for “big things” in 2025. Prior to his encounter with Erdogan, Eubank had achieved two knockouts in his two most recent appearances. Despite this, the fight itself was a messy encounter, characterized by both boxers repeatedly forcing each other to the canvas. Erdogan expressed anger regarding the point deductions, which effectively extinguished any prospect he had of securing an upset win.