Birmingham’s Yafai is hoping to increase his good document to 9 victories when he takes on Edwards at BP Pulse Dwell.
It’s the first time he has competed in his residence city since a first-round stoppage victory towards Tommy Frank in August 2023.
“I like combating in my residence metropolis, I like combating within the UK,” Yafai mentioned.
“It is good going to America and combating in New York at Madison Sq. Backyard and in Las Vegas, however nothing is best than combating at residence and it is actually residence for this battle.”
However life may have panned out very otherwise for the 31-year-old.
Yafai, regardless of being an avid boxing fan from a younger age, didn’t begin studying the commerce till his late teenagers and nearly determined to stroll away from the game as he struggled to stability coaching with work.
“I used to be working within the Land Rover manufacturing unit at Solihull,” Yafai mentioned.
“I at all times dreamed about boxing for Nice Britain on the Olympics and I went on to do this twice, it is surreal now that I give it some thought.
“It was laborious to juggle work and boxing and I used to be at a stage the place I used to be simply going to stop as a result of it was getting an excessive amount of, however fortunately I persevered and the remaining is historical past.”
After falling wanting a medal on the 2016 Rio Olympics, Yafai introduced residence gold from Tokyo on the Covid-19-delayed Video games in 2021 – simply 4 months after Edwards had turn into a world champion.
“There’s one factor I’ve over Sunny – I am an Olympic champion, he cannot be that,” Yafai mentioned.
“He is been a world champion however I could be a world champion. I will be each however he can solely be one.”
