Galal Yafai Claims Interim WBC Flyweight Title with Dominant Win Over Sunny Edwards

Olympic champion Galal Yafai secured the interim WBC flyweight title by defeating his long-standing rival Sunny Edwards in a dominant performance. This victory extends Yafai’s professional record to nine wins without a loss. The bout, held at BP Pulse Live in Birmingham, saw Yafai control the fight for six rounds until the referee intervened to stop the contest. Following the fight, Edwards, who held the IBF flyweight championship from 2021 to 2023, declared his retirement from boxing. This win improves Yafai’s perfect professional record to nine victories, with seven of them achieved by stoppage. It also positions him as a contender for a title shot against WBC champion Kenshiro Teraji in 2025. “It means everything to me,” Yafai stated to DAZN. “I think people underrate me. I won Olympic gold. It was my night tonight.” He added, “Winning gold in the Olympics was the best achievement I could ever do but beating Sunny tonight was a better feeling that standing on that podium.” Edwards had previously defeated Yafai during their amateur careers in 2015, but he could not replicate that success or match Yafai’s intensity in this professional encounter in the Midlands. The London-born fighter concludes his career with a professional record of 21 wins and two defeats. “Win, lose or draw I was always going into the sunset,” Edwards informed BBC Radio 5 Live. He continued, “This was the last thing I wanted to do, fight Galal, but I left a few clues with my posts on social media ‘the last dance’. “My body is falling apart, I’ve got bad ankles, wrists, shoulders, back, everything is bad about me. It has been a hard career with the wear and tear on my body.” In their amateur meeting in 2015, Sunny Edwards secured a split-decision victory over Galal Yafai. Yafai, who earned a gold medal at the 2020 Olympics and has long been considered a prospective world champion, bypassed the chance to acknowledge the cheers from the majority of the 5,000 spectators in his hometown of Birmingham, instead quickly making his way down the ramp and into the ring. While some had previously raised questions about the caliber of Yafai’s prior opponents, and facing Edwards was undeniably a significant challenge, Yafai displayed unwavering confidence from the opening bell, dominating his rival throughout each round. Despite both fighters having promised an explosive contest in the lead-up, it was Yafai alone who delivered on that pledge, starting the fight with immediate intensity. Competing in Birmingham for the first time since August 2023, Yafai showcased a comprehensive range of punches, effectively targeting both the head and body, thereby giving Edwards no opportunity to recover in the ring. Between rounds, Edwards was overheard telling his trainer, “I don’t want to be here.” Edwards found it difficult to establish his rhythm, and on one occasion when he did connect with a powerful right hand, Yafai paused, shook his head, and smiled. Both boxers hail from prominent fighting families; Edwards’ brother Charlie previously held the WBC flyweight belt, while Yafai’s brothers, Kal and Gamal, were champions in the WBA super-flyweight and European super-bantamweight divisions, respectively. Tension existed between their respective siblings, with Charlie, Kal, and Gamal engaging in multiple public disagreements, including during fight week and in the locker room hours before the main event. However, the relationship between Sunny and Galal has consistently been respectful, a fact demonstrated at the conclusion of the fifth round when they touched gloves and exchanged nods. The contest was ultimately stopped in the sixth round after Edwards was cornered against the ropes and could not respond to a barrage of punches directed at his head. “I had the best camp I could – I was worried about what Sunny could do to me,” Yafai commented to BBC Radio 5 Live. He added, “Whatever Sunny decides to do, he has been the man for many years now. I’ve looked up to him.” Yafai concluded, “Sunny is someone I have always wanted to beat. I knew I was better. He has been a great advocate.” Both Sunny Edwards and his brother Charlie have held flyweight world titles. Leading up to Saturday’s fight, Edwards had hinted at his mental state not being optimal and the possibility of retirement, stating, “a loss can make or break a fighter but I think it depends on where they are at in their life.” Entering what was effectively hostile territory to confront Yafai, Edwards was met with a chorus of boos from the crowd upon his arrival in the arena. However, when he announced his retirement in the ring, he received only cheers and expressions of respect from the attendees. Edwards began boxing at the age of nine, following his older brother Charlie into the gym, and the sport rapidly became central to his life. Following a successful amateur career that included training in Sheffield with Team GB, Edwards transitioned to professional boxing in 2016. The 28-year-old fighter climbed through the professional ranks with remarkable skill, significantly raising the profile of the British flyweight division. He claimed the IBF title in 2021 by defeating Moruti Mthalane, extending his undefeated record to 16-0 at that time. After successfully defending his title four times, Edwards attempted to unify the division against WBO champion Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez in December 2023, but was unsuccessful. Edwards rebounded with a victory over Adrian Curiel in June, but he struggled to find his form against Yafai. “I’m touching 20 years in a boxing career, and have been professional for about eight, and I’ve been busy,” Edwards stated. He elaborated, “The only thing I think about when I get out of the ring is getting back in it and it has absorbed my life, my happiness, my effort.” Edwards also shared, “I’ve missed so many sports days, so many firsts of my kids’ lives to do this. “I couldn’t get through a camp for the last four of five years without a bad wrist, a bad hand, a bad shoulder – I had to miss two or three weeks of training for this camp because I couldn’t walk.”