Anthony ‘Can You Dig It?’ Yigit (19-0-1, 7 KOs) is set to make a historic defence of his European Super Lightweight Championship against Sandor Martin (29-1, 10 KOs) on Saturday, September 30 at the Solnahallen in Stockholm, Sweden.
This fight will be the first time in over fifty years that the European title has been contested on Swedish soil following Bo Hogberg’s unsuccessful attempt at Sandro Mazzinghi super welterweight strap at Johanneshov on October 11, 1966.
Yigit, who is undefeated in his twenty professional contests, went behind enemy lines to capture the European crown on February 11, 2017, producing a punch perfect performance to score a unanimous points victory over former British Champion Lenny Daws at his hometown arena in Carshalton, London.
In doing so, Yigit became the first Swede to claim European honours since 1987, joining an elite group of Swedish fighters to have held the title including Harry Persson, Olle Tandberg, Ingemar Johansson, Anders Eklund, John Andersson and Bo Hogberg.
The 25 year-old from Stockholm is now relishing a return home for a momentous defence of his 140lbs title against mandatory challenger Sandor Martin.
Martin, the 23 year-old from Barcelona is a former European Union, Spanish, WBO Youth Intercontinental and WBC Youth Silver Super Lightweight Champion, who boasts an impressive resume of twenty-nine victories and only one defeat.
‘’It feels great to get the chance to defend my title at home in Stockholm,’’ said Yigit. ‘’Last time, I was the away fighter, which I don’t mind, but it’s always nicer to fight in front of your own people and in front of your close friends and family.
‘’I’m excited to be making boxing history for Sweden. I was the first boxer in 16 years to win an Olympic bout, the first in 30 years to win the European title, and now, I’m bringing the belt back to Sweden for the first European title fight since 1966. It will be a very proud moment for me, and I want to continue to write history and bring Swedish boxing forward, that’s what excites me.
‘’Sandor Martin is a tough guy with his heart and mind in the right place. He has a champion’s mentality and he’s proved that by agreeing to come to Sweden to try to take my title. He’s a future champion, but not this time, this is my moment!’’
‘’I’m very happy to be challenging for the European Championship,’’ said Martin. ‘’It’s a dream for any fighter to win the European title, and my dream will come true on September 30 in Stockholm.
‘’Yigit is a great boxer but I’m very confident I will win. Losing is not an option. I’m coming to Sweden to win the European title and the hearts of the Swedish supporters. I’ve been waiting a long time for this moment, and now it is here.
‘’I will have a lot of Spanish supporters travelling over to see my victory and I have a lot of friends in Stockholm, particularly at Hammarby, so for me, it will be like fighting at home. My only concern is the cold, so like Rocky Balboa, I will be training in a fridge to get used to the Swedish weather.’’
‘’We’re delighted to be bringing this historic European Championship fight to Sweden,’’ said promoter Nisse Sauerland. ‘’Anthony had to do it the hard way and go away from home to take the title from his opponent’s backyard, and now, I know he is very happy to be defending it in front of his home fans in Stockholm.
‘’Martin is a dangerous opponent who will provide a tough test for his first defence, but Anthony is a special talent and we believe he can overcome this challenge and continue to fly the flag for Swedish boxing on the World scene.’’
Tickets for the European Super Lightweight Championship clash between Anthony Yigit and Sandor Martin go on sale today at 9.00 (CEST) and are available online via www.ticketmaster.se.
All the action from the Solnahallen, which will feature a full undercard showcasing the very best of Swedish boxing, will be shown live and exclusive on Viaplay Fighting.
