Fierce rivalry in best British flyweight fight for decades

This time last year, Sunny Edwards was on his way to the USA for a unification world title fight, and Galal Yafai was a five-fight novice.

- STEVE BUNCE

A year can be a long time in the boxing game. Yafai has now had eight fights without defeat, Edwards lost his world title, and tonight in Birmingham, they meet in the best British flyweight fight for decades.

The brief period in the Eighties when Duke McKenzie, Dave “Boy” McAuley and Charlie Magri shared rings for world and British title fights is a distant memory. Since then, quality fighters like Robbie Regan and Jason Booth have fought for various flyweight belts, but there has not been the same type of fierce rivalry. Edwards and Yafai is a very special fight on many levels. It is the best fight at the weight in Britain for nearly 40 years.

Last December in Phoenix, Arizona, Edwards was stopped in the ninth round by the brilliant Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez in a bold bid to add the WBO title to the IBF version he already held. On the undercard that night, Yafai was having just his sixth fight, but it was another 10-rounder, another step in the fast-track direction. He was chasing Edwards then.