Galal Yafai is on a quest to collect the experience necessary to dethrone the current world champions, a journey that continues this Saturday as he defends his WBC International Flyweight title against Agustin Mauro Gauto at the BleauLive Theater in Fontainebleau Las Vegas, broadcasted live worldwide on DAZN. Yafai, who clinched the title in his professional debut in London in February 2022—just half a year after securing Olympic gold for Britain in Tokyo—has since soared to a 6-0 record in the professional arena, successfully defending his International title four times. Now at 31, his victories have positioned him at #7 in the WBC rankings, holding the same rank with the WBO and IBF.
The vacating of the world titles by Jesse Rodriguez in two organizations has sparked excitement among contenders, including Yafai, who sees an even greater reason to excel against Gauto as he sharpens his skills for an impending World title opportunity. “The professional arena is a different beast, with longer rounds and smaller gloves, but at its core, it’s still boxing,” Yafai remarked.
For Yafai, rankings are a secondary concern. “No one will remember if I was ranked top five in the WBC when I retire. It’s about whether I become a World champion. That’s what truly matters. Yet, being highly ranked does attract bouts against the top guys, which is appealing,” Yafai added. He acknowledges his readiness to take on the elite but prefers to amass more experience to ensure he's in the best position to win when the time comes. “On my best day, I believe I can defeat the top contenders, but I want to ensure I'm not rushing and that I'm fully prepared.”
Watch Yafai vs. Santomauro fight highlights: Watch
Yafai’s battle against Gauto is part of a star-studded evening, featuring America’s bright prospects such as Richardson Hitchins facing Gustavo Lemos in a final eliminator for the IBF World Jr. Welterweight title and Diego Pacheco defending his USWBC and WBO International Super-Middleweight titles against Shawn McCalman.
The event also shines a spotlight on Skye Nicolson, who aims for the WBC Featherweight title against Sarah Mahfoud, and Marc Castro, who competes for the WBC Continental Americas Super-Featherweight title against Abraham Montoya. Additionally, Harley Mederos enters the ring for his sixth professional bout against Pedro Vicente, and Steven Navarro makes his professional debut in a super-flyweight clash with Jose Lopez.
Image Credit: Sky Sports