Yarde: Buatsi fight will happen

 

Joshua Buatsi vs. Dan Azeez will be being watched by rival London light-heavy and two-time world title contender Anthony Yarde, who cautions: "Buatsi is really up and down. On October 21, Buatsi takes on Azeez live on Sky Sports. "Sometimes he looks very good, sometimes he looks very mediocre,"

Anthony Yarde anticipates facing Joshua Buatsi, a rival from London, at some point.

Yarde will fight Ricky Summers next month after losing to Artur Beterbiev for the world title, and Buatsi will fight Dan Azeez on October 21 at the O2 Arena, another top London light-heavyweight.

Yarde has been circling a potential clash with Buatsi for several years. He told the Toe2Toe podcast: "I thought me and Buatsi would have had the fight. I felt like it was a good time

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"I don't really care. I feel like eventually it's going to happen."

Yarde revealed the two have had face-to-face conversations about staging the fight, and is confident that in due course it can be made. "When the time is right, we'll make the fight as big as it needs to be. If we need to trash talk, we'll trash talk. If we need to get into each other's faces, if it needs to be tactical, it will be tactical," Yarde said.

"I truly don't care. I believe that it will occur eventually.

The two have spoken face-to-face about staging the fight, according to Yarde, who is optimistic that it can be done in due course. "We'll make the fight as huge as it needs to be when the moment is right. We'll trash speak if it's necessary. Yarde stated, "If it needs to be tactical, if we need to get in each other's faces, it will be tactical.

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"Me and him have spoken personally, and it seems like we both want to fight. I definitely want the fight and I'm not shying away from anybody. I've shown time and time again what I'm about."

He also highlighted his friendship with Azeez but mentioned that a Buatsi win would be his preference. "I know Dan Azeez very well. It would be good to see Azeez come out on top because he's got a good heart and he's a good person. I've known him for a long time," he said.

"I spoke with him directly, and it seems that we both want to fight. I'm not afraid of anyone, and I definitely want to fight. I've repeatedly demonstrated who I am.

He also referenced his friendship with Azeez while stating that he would prefer a Buatsi victory. "I'm quite familiar with Dan Azeez. Azeez has a wonderful heart and is a kind person, therefore it would be nice to see him triumph. He said, "I've known him for a long time.

"But again, will it dampen the fight between me and Buatsi? Possibly. So, for that reason, I would want Buatsi to get the win. It's business."

As to who he believes will win the fight, Yarde couldn't pick between the pair, saying: "I don't know because, Buatsi, he's very up and down. Sometimes he looks very good, sometimes he looks very mediocre. Azeez has got better fighting decent opponents. He's been stopping opponents."

Yarde reflected on his close encounters with becoming a world champion, acknowledging the challenges of stepping into the sport relatively late. Yarde's perspective was clear: "I've shown time and time again, I'm willing to take on all the challenges and I'll continue to go for these challenges as well."

His battle against Artur Beterbiev, an undefeated unified world champion with an 100 per cent knockout ratio, underlined his resilience and adaptability as he navigated a steep learning curve.

When discussing his encounters with top-tier opponents like Beterbiev and Sergey Kovalev, Yarde noted: "I've always been in a situation where I'm learning on the job. Every time I've got into that ring, it's a new experience for me. I had a limited amateur career, had 12 amateur fights. As a professional, a lot of my fights were knockouts, so the time spent in the ring hasn't been a lot, so every time I get into the ring, it's a different experience."

Beterbiev stopped Yarde in an eight-round back-and-forth battle in London earlier this year. The champion was due to defend his WBC, WBO and IBF light-heavyweight titles against Callum Smith this weekend in Canada, but a jawbone infection forced him to reschedule the bout for January 13.

Yarde feels that Smith can get the job done - because he left a dent in the champion. "I'm a firm believer in what's meant for you will be, so maybe this is Callum Smith's time," he suggested.