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WBA (Super) and WBC super-middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez is once again ready to return to the ring, just 70 days following his last fight.
Alvarez will defend his WBA (Super) and WBC super-middleweight titles against 29-year-old Turkish boxer Avni Yildirim on February 27. After remaining mostly inactive last year due to COVID-19, Canelo Alvarez promised a busy 2021 to his fans and he is keeping his word thus far.
Alvarez's last fight was a dominant unanimous decision win against Callum Smith back in December last year. With the win, Canelo Alvarez also became the new WBA (Super) champion and the WBC super-middleweight champion. The WBC title requires to be defended within 90 days so Canelo Alvarez is now ready to take on Yildirim on February 27 after having competed in December.
But once he won the WBC title, he would have to defend it within 90 days against Yildirim (21-2, 12 KOs). Alvarez committed to the fight, giving fans another opportunity to see boxing's biggest star in a span of fewer than three months.
While Yildirim is being pitted as the overwhelming underdog heading into the fight, he has an impressive 21-2 record and has 12 KOs under his belt. But he hasn't been on the best run of form lately, having dropped a controversial technical decision loss to Anthony Dirrell back in his last fight.
Canelo Alvarez is expected to take on WBO champion Billy Joe Saunders in May if he manages to win the upcoming fight against Yildirim.
Canelo Alvarez will fight Yildirim at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida with a limited number of fans in attendance due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. It also marks the first time a boxing event will be held at the Hard Rock Stadium.
Given below is the full fight card for the event.
Canelo Alvarez vs. Avni Yildirim fight card
Canelo Alvarez (C) vs. Avni Yildirim (WBC/WBA Super Middleweight titles)
Julio Cesar Martinez (C) vs. McWilliams Arroyo (WBC flyweight title)
Zhang Zhilei vs. Jerry Forrest (Heavyweight)
Diego Pacheco vs. Rodolfo Gomez Jr. (Super Middleweight)
Marc Castro vs. Raul Corona (Junior Lightweight)
Aaron Aponte vs. Harry Gigliotti (Junior Welterweight)
Keyshawn Davis vs. Lester Brown (Junior Welterweight)
Alexis Espino vs. Ashton Sykes (Super Middleweight)
