Edwards vs Yafai: Galal Yafai puts on masterclass to beat Sunny Edwards

Yafai, long touted as a future world champion after collecting gold at the 2020 Olympics, did not take the opportunity to soak up the cheers from the majority of the 5,000 in attendance in his home city of Birmingham as he raced down the ramp and into the ring.

Some have questioned the quality of his previous opponents and there was no doubt that facing Edwards was a huge step up, but he exuded confidence from the first bell and overwhelmed his rival for every second of every round.

Both fighters promised fireworks in the build-up but only one managed to deliver on that promise, with Yafai exploding out of the blocks.

Yafai, fighting in Birmingham for the first time since August 2023, displayed the full catalogue of shots, working head and body seamlessly and denying Edwards any breathing space in the ring.

Edwards could be heard telling his trainer “I don’t want to be here” in between rounds.

He struggled to find his rhythm and when he did manage to land heavy with a right, Yafai stopped, shook his head and smiled.

The pair both come from fighting families with Edwards’ brother Charlie a previous holder of the WBC flyweight belt, while Yafai’s brothers Kal and Gamal were WBA super-flyweight and European super-bantamweight champions respectively.

There was tension between their siblings, with Charlie, Kal and Gamal involved in several public disputes, including throughout fight week and in the locker room in the hours before the main event.

But the relationship between Sunny and Galal has always been respectful and that was evident at the end of fifth when they touched gloves and nodded at each other.

The action was finally halted in the sixth when Edwards was backed up on the ropes and unable to answer back with a flurry of punches landing on his head.

“I had the best camp I could – I was worried about what Sunny could do to me,” Yafai told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“Whatever Sunny decides to do, he has been the man for many years now. I’ve looked up to him.

“Sunny is someone I have always wanted to beat. I knew I was better. He has been a great advocate.”