Canelo Alvarez vs Avni Yildirim: Is betting on the Turkish underdog a good idea?
Avni Yildirim is a +1500 underdog heading into his February 27 showdown with -4000 favorite Canelo Alvarez. Whether it is a good idea to bet on the Turkish underdog solely depends on your risk appetite.
For the uninitiated, a +1500 underdog means you risk $100 for a $1500 profit if the underdog wins. A -4000 favorite means you risk $4000 for a $100 profit if the favorite wins. The heavier odds lean in the favorite fighter's direction. The betting odds reflect the general consensus about the probability of either fighter's win. Canelo Alvarez is the No.1 pound-for-pound boxer in the world right now. Therefore, he is an obvious heavy favorite over Yildirim, who has not won a professional boxing fight since September 2018 when he defeated Lolenga Mock via majority decision.
While Canelo Alvarez is a safe bet on any given day, those who are not afraid of taking huge risks can rely on Yildirim for having a puncher's chance. After all, anything can happen in combat sports because all it takes is one punch to change the end of the night.
Who is Avni Yildirim, and what are his chances against Canelo Alvarez?
29-year-old Avni Yildirim (21-2) is a Turkish boxer that is nicknamed 'Mr. Robot' due to his offensive-minded forward moving approach to fighting. Although Yildirim and Canelo are close in terms of biological age, Mr. Robot does not have nearly the amount of fighting experience that the latter has. The fight against Canelo is a big opportunity for Yildirim, who helped Canelo prepare for the Gennedy Golovkin fight as a sparring partner.
Canelo Alvarez (54-1-2) is the No.1 ranked boxer in the pound-for-pound rankings. He will make a quick turnaround to fight Avni Yildirim after the win over Callum Smith on December 19, 2020. Alvarez won the WBA (super), the Ring titles held by Smith and the vacant WBC super middleweight titile with his impressive victory. All three titles will be on the line against the Turkish boxer, who is a mandatory challenger for Alvarez. The career trajectories of both boxers only suggest that Avni Yildrim stands a candle's chance in a storm when he fights Canelo Alvarez.