- Canelo Alvarez will make a quick return and defend the WBA (Super), WBC and The Ring super-middleweight titles against Avni Yildirim on Feb. 27 at the at Hard.
- Canelo Alvarez's 'stay busy' fight went by without incident on Saturday, as the super middleweight champion dominated challenger Avni Yildirim on his way to a third-round TKO win in Miami.
Canelo Alvarez vs. Avni Yildirim odds, picks, predictions: Boxing insider who's 32-8 unveils best bets, props CBS Sports Staff 11 hrs ago White nationalists are once again using Christian symbols.
- Alvarez defends his WBA (Super), WBC, and The Ring super middleweight titles this weekend
- Yildirim the massive outsider against the legendary Mexican fighter
- The fight will take place at the Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
Whenever Saul Alvarez takes to the ring, there is worldwide attention. The pound-for-pound great will be back in action for the second time in three months this weekend as he defends his super-middleweight titles against Turkish fighter Avni Yildirim.
Saul Alvarez vs Avni Yildirim Schedule
- When: Saturday, 27th February
- Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Florida
- How To Watch: DAZN
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Saul Alvarez vs Avni Yildirim Odds
Saul Alvarez vs Avni Yildirim Tale Of The Tape
Saul Alvarez vs Avni Yildirim Preview
Canelo Looking To Set Up Huge Summer Fight
Fight fans needed to wait over a year to see Canelo back in the ring, but it looks as though they will be seeing more of the legendary Mexican this year. There are rumors that a massive super middleweight bout between himself and Billy Joe Saunders are very close, and the unification bout could happen in the summer. However, before the Mexican looks forward to that fight, he must first overcome Yildirim this weekend. Alvarez was last in action at the end of December, as he dominated proceedings against Callum Smith. Alvarez won by unanimous decision on that occasion, but in truth, the gulf between the two was clear for all to see.
The Mexican threw 214 punches in that fight compared to the 99 that his opponent was able to. He landed on 43.3% of his punches, which was much higher than the success rate of 18.4% that Smith landed. He was also efficient with the jab throughout that fight, as he landed 32.1% of his efforts, while he also recorded a 57.3% success rated with his power punches.
Yildirim Massive Outsider Against Canelo
Canelo Vs Rocky Odds Predictions
To say that Yildirim is the outsider to win this fight would be an understatement. A win for the Turkish fighter would be up there will the biggest shocks that we have seen in the boxing world and would be a bigger surprise than Anthony Joshua’s heavyweight defeat against Andy Ruiz Jr a couple of years ago.
This is the second time that the former WBC international champion has competed for a world title after he was beaten by Anthony Dirrell after a technical decision was called after an accidental head clash. That defeat ended a run of five straight victories, but the 29-year-old has constantly come up short when asked to take a step up to the next level. His other career defeat came against Chris Eubank Jr back in 2017, as he was knocked out in the third round of the IBO super-middleweight contest.
Saul Alvarez vs Avni Yildirim Prediction & Pick
Who will win tonight’s fight:
This should be a straightforward fight prediction to make, as Alvarez is the number one super middleweight in the world. The Mexican will put on a show for the fans this weekend, and we expect him to earn a 37th career knockout success.
Free Pick:
- Alvarez by KO/TKO
On Saturday December 15th, Rocky Fielding will take on one of boxing’s biggest stars in Saul “Canelo” Alvarez for the WBO Super-Middleweight title. Fielding and Canelo will battle it out in boxing’s mecca – Madison Square Garden, which is the first time Canelo has ever fought in MSG.
The main portion of this event will begin at 9 PM ET, but don’t expect Canelo and Fielding to enter the ring until about 11 PM ET.
Boxing fans can watch this fight on DAZN as this marks Alvarez’s first fight with the increasingly popular fight sports app. Canelo has an 11-fight, $365 million dollar deal with DAZN. You might have seen some of his cheesy DAZN commercials that also feature the popular ring announcer Michael Buffer.
If you are looking to bet on this fight, here are the sites that we recommend:
Best US Sites to Bet on Fielding vs Alvarez
Alvarez vs Fielding has drawn some attention from mainstream boxing outlets and casual fans. Canelo opened as a huge favorite with most boxing betting sites.
Both fighters are looking to knock the other out, but that’s a tall task for Rocky. With that said, let’s dig into these boxing betting odds, examine any potential boxing wagers that may offer betting value, and make some predictions.
Fielding vs Alvarez Betting Odds
The following boxing odds are courtesy of BetOnline:
Boxing Moneylines
- Alvarez (-1460)
- Fielding (+960)
Total Rounds
- Over 7.5 (+131)
- Under 7.5 (-151)
At first glance, these odds are pretty much what I expected. Canelo is the better fighter of the two and is definitely an appropriate favorite for this fight. Surprisingly, Saul’s odds have come down slightly from an opening of -1800 at most online sportsbooks.
As for Fielding, the majority of boxing oddsmakers have also adjusted his odds. Rocky opened at +900, but many online sportsbooks have him anywhere from +700 to +1000. BetOnline has Fielding as a +960 Underdog, which I believe is fair.
The Over/Under of 7.5 rounds also seems rather fair considering each fighter’s resume, which we will dig into deeper in the sections below. The betting odds for the Over and the Under do offer some decent value and could be ripe for winning some money on this fight.
Saul “Canelo” Alvarez Fight Record
At just 28 years old, Alvarez seems like he’s a grizzly veteran in the sport of boxing. His first professional fight was in 2005, and he’s been on the main stage for the sport of boxing for at least the last 6 years. He did fight Shane Mosley and defeated him via unanimous decision in 2012.
However, it was Canelo’s fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. that really lifted him to another level. Although Alvarez lost via majority decision, it’s the only loss of his career and he’s definitely grown as a star since then.
Canelo (50-1-2) is a multi-time champion in different weight classes and looks to go up to super-middleweight and win another title. Alvarez’s last two fights were wars against Gennady Golovkin for which he went 1-0-1. Their first fight in September of 2017, was Draw.
Their rematch a year later ended up seeing Canelo win via majority decision and capture several titles. Alvarez handed Golovkin his only professional loss.
In his 53 professional fights, Alvarez has 34 wins via KO and 16 wins via decision. He also has 1 loss via decision and 2 Draws, with the last one being the first fight against Gennady.
Rocky Fielding Fight Record
Fielding, at age 31, has earned this big payday against Alvarez by recently defeating Tyron Zeuge in Germany for the WBA super-middleweight title in July. It was Rocky’s 6th straight win as he has a solid 27-1 record. Fielding has won 15 of his fights via KO and 12 via decision.
His only loss came via TKO to Smith over 3 years ago. It was unexpected considering Fielding was undefeated at the time.
Fielding isn’t a top 5 overall fighter in this weight class, but he’s still a respectable fighter probably hovering around 9th or 10th in the super-middleweight division.
Fielding plans on shocking the world as he made the following comments about the upcoming fight to ESPN:
“But it’s my weight. I’m big, I’m strong and I’m confident I can go in there, upset everyone and shock the world. I wouldn’t take it if I didn’t believe it. I’m going there as a world champion and I’m going to fight like a world champion and perform like one.”
Fielding does have a 5 inch height advantage and a 4 ½ inch reach advantage. Despite these advantages, Canelo is not overlooking Fielding at all, according to SkySports.com:
“I’m taking a risk by entering into a comfort zone of a champion and his weight, that’s a risk, and that risk makes it even. It makes it interesting. No fight is easy, so I’m preparing for a hard fight. I know that Rocky is used to receiving punches from another weight class and I know that he’s taller. It’s not an easy fight, and I’m preparing for the best Rocky Fielding and to make sure that there are no surprise.”
Will Canelo vs Fielding Go the Distance?
Canelo has a 64% knockout rate and Fielding has a 54% knockout rate, which means that the odds favor this fight not going the distance. However, that doesn’t mean it will.
Canelo has 19 fights go the distance and Fielding has 12. That’s 31 of their combined 81 fights go the distance. Alvarez has seen his last three fights and 6 of his last 10 fights go the distance. Fielding, has seen 4 of his last 10 fights go the distance.
When looking at fights going over 7.5 rounds, Fielding only has 5 pro fights that have gone beyond that mark. Canelo has 26 pro fights that have gone beyond 7.5 rounds.
With Canelo moving up in weight, half of his fights going beyond 7.5 rounds, and Fielding being the bigger and fresher fighter, I’m going with the Over in this bout. Canelo won’t be in any trouble of losing the fight, but it might take him a few rounds to feel out his opponent and settle in.
If Fielding successfully uses his height, size and reach advantages then this fight will definitely go into the latter rounds.
Can Fielding Shock the World and Upset Alvarez?
This is the 6th world title fight for Canelo since he lost to Mayweather Jr, who was in his prime at the time. A few months ago, Alvarez was fighting at 154 pounds, but a step up to 168 pounds will provide him with the challenge that he’s looking for.
What else could he do to challenge himself after going to war with Golovkin in his last two fights?
With that said, Canelo is clearly the better fighter of the two. Fielding’s first title defense is going to be the toughest fight of his career as he’s going up against one of the sport’s P4P best and most notable fighters.
Keep in mind that Canelo’s team specifically picked Fielding because they felt Rocky was the perfect opponent for Alvarez to become a champ in his third different weight class. Fielding will have some success, but Canelo is the better boxer both offensively and defensively.
His skills will shine through in this fight as he eventually wears down Fielding and either scores a late round TKO or gets the unanimous decision. Either way, Canelo is walking out of MSG as the super-middleweight champ and crossing one more thing off of his bucket list.
Also on the Fight’s Undercard
In addition to the main event fight, there are a few other bouts worth your attention:
Canelo Vs Smith Odds
David Lemieux (40-4) vs Tureano Johnson (20-2)
This fight has fireworks written all over it. Lemieux is on the undercard of an Alvarez fight for the second straight time as he also fought in September on the undercard of Canelo vs Golovkin II.
Lemieux has 34 knockouts with a staggering 85% KO rate. Johnson has 14 knockouts for an impressive 70% KO rate.
Canelo Vs Ggg Odds
This fight is a stepping stone for Lemieux. If he gets another highlight-reel KO victory then he could fight Alvarez next May for his middleweight belts. Currently, Lemieux is in the top 6 rankings for WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF. Take Lemieux to get his 35th KO against a tough opponent in Johnson.
Katie Taylor (11-0) vs Eva Wahlstrom (22-0-1)
Taylor is the current IBF and WBA lightweight champion and has taken the sport by storm. The Irish superstar unified the two belts earlier this year with her fight against Bustos in April.
The 32-year old Taylor has won multiple world titles and an Olympic gold medal. She’s looking to capture as many championship belts as possible on her way to superstardom.
Wahlstrom, age 38, has held the WBC super-featherweight belt for 3 ½ years and has gone undefeated in 4 title defenses. These two women have some familiarity with each other as they have met a few times in their amateur careers. Wahlstrom has a great deal of respect for Taylor and it appears the feeling is mutual.
This fight is going to be a big step for women’s boxing as it pits two undefeated fighters with gold around their waists. According to BetOnline, Taylor is a massive favorite at -1756. She’s a bigger favorite than Canelo is in his fight. Wahlstrom is a +1056 underdog and I believe she’s worth a flyer.
Eva is stepping up in weight, but has won twice as many pro fights as Eva and is looking for revenge from their amateur days. These are great reasons to consider Eva as a flyer bet. However, the smart bet is clearly with Taylor as she continues to dominate the sport of women’s boxing.
Full Boxing Card
- WBA World Super-Middleweight title fight: Canelo Alvarez vs Rocky Fielding
- IBF Super-Featherweight title fight: Tevin Farmer vs Francisco Fonseca
- David Lemieux vs Tureano Johnson
- Vergil Ortiz Jr vs TBA
- Sadam Ali vs Mauricio Herrera
- IBF/WBA World Lightweight title fight: Katie Taylor vs Eva Wahlstrom