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Anthony Yarde’s road back to a world title: Redemption or final chapter for British knockout artist?
Yarde came late to boxing, only picking up the gloves at 19. But he wasted no time establishing himself as one of the most exciting young talents in the light-heavyweight division – and a future world title contender. Now 33, he faces what could be his final chance to fulfil that dream.
He turned professional after just 12 amateur bouts and quickly captured the imagination of British fans with his “Lions in the camp” mantra. Backed by explosive power, he knocked out all but one of his first 19 opponents, collecting Southern Area, Intercontinental and European titles along the way.
The hard-hitting Londoner has twice challenged for world honours – and fell short on both occasions, though against elite opposition. First came a brave but ultimately unsuccessful trip to Russia to face three-time champion Sergey Kovalev. Then, in 2023, he was stopped by the fearsome unified champion Artur Beterbiev, widely regarded as one of the most dangerous fighters in the division’s history.
After a period of relative inactivity, Yarde returns to face a familiar opponent in Lyndon Arthur on the undercard of Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn on April 26, live on DAZN PPV. It will be their third meeting – and the stakes have never been higher for the man from East London as he attempts to claw his way back into title contention.
What is the path to glory?
Yarde hasn’t fought at world level since the Beterbiev defeat and will need to rebuild with a statement win.
A convincing victory over Arthur could put him back in line for a shot at names like Dmitry Bivol or David Benavidez – the latter now the WBC champion after Bivol vacated his belt to pursue a trilogy fight with Beterbiev.
Who else?
Lyndon Arthur
Alex Livesey/Getty Images
Lyndon Arthur is no warm-up. Nicknamed “King”, he stunned Yarde with a split-decision win in their first meeting in 2020 behind closed doors – a fight many felt Yarde had underestimated.
In the rematch, revenge was swift and emphatic. Yarde floored Arthur with a powerful right hand in the fourth round to get his career back on track. Now, with the trilogy bout looming, it’s a chance for Yarde to produce a definitive win and thrust himself back into the conversation among the division’s top contenders.
Joshua Buatsi
Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
For years, Yarde and Buatsi have been viewed as natural rivals. Both highly rated when they turned professional – Buatsi in 2017, Yarde in 2015 – talk of a clash between the two has long persisted. Yet despite public demand, terms have never been agreed.
While Yarde has already fought twice for world titles, Buatsi has worked steadily through the domestic ranks, defeating the likes of Dan Azeez, Craig Richards and Willy Hutchinson.
Buatsi is currently recovering after a 12-round war – and fight-of-the-year contender – against Callum Smith in Saudi Arabia two months ago, where he lost his WBO interim belt. That result may now pave the way for a long-awaited showdown with Yarde, with both fighters looking to rebuild momentum.
Callum Smith
Matchroom
Smith, a former WBA champion at super-middleweight, moved up to 175lbs after losing his title to Canelo Alvarez in 2020. But his path in the new division hit a roadblock when he was stopped by Artur Beterbiev in the seventh round last year.
Still, Smith bounced back with a huge win over Buatsi, proving he remains a force at light-heavyweight. A potential matchup between Smith and Yarde would not only boost either man’s resume, it could also come with interim title stakes – and likely a guaranteed path back to a world title shot.
Yarde has never been one to take the easy route – and this phase of his career is no different. If he can overcome Arthur on April 26, he’ll be back in the mix. But to finally achieve his goal of becoming world champion, he’ll need to take one more risk, one more leap – one final roll of the dice.
Watch three incredible fight nights in one week only on DAZN
Fight fans are in for a treat at the end of April / start of May, with three amazing fight cards within seven days - and DAZN PPV is the only place to watch them all.
- April 26: Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn
- May 2: Ryan Garcia vs Rolly Romero; Devin Haney vs Jose Ramirez; Teofimo Lopez vs Arnold Barboza Jr.
- May 3: Canelo Alvarez vs William Scull
Arch rivals Eubank Jr and Benn finally go head-to-head to start the exhilarating week, with PPV prices at £19.95 in the UK; $24.99 in the US; €24.99 in Europe.
Garcia vs. Romero and Canelo vs. Scull fight nights follow, which will both be exclusively on DAZN. Fight fans can purchase either fight individually for $59.99 US; £/€21.99 UK/IRE; ROW - $24.99 per PPV or take advantage of the DAZN Knockout Weekend Bundle where both fights can be purchased for $90 US; £34.99 in the UK and €34.99 in Europe.
