Undefeated Kurdish Canadian boxer to compete in Colombia bout
TORONTO (Kurdistan 24) – After nearly a year since his last fight, undefeated Kurdish Canadian boxer Mazlum Akdeniz (11-0) is set to compete in an event later this month in Sucre, Colombia.
In a statement on his official Facebook, Akdeniz said he was “very happy” to announce that his next fight would be on Jan. 30 in South America. “Let’s get it!” He added.
The last time Akdeniz was in the boxing ring was on Feb. 8, 2020—before COVID-19 restrictions—when he defeated American opponent Elliot Brown (2-18) via first-round TKO at the Tysons Playground, in Vienna, Virginia.
The Kurdish athlete admitted that training was difficult due to restrictions in place to curb the spread of the global pandemic, so he spent more time “on the business side” of his game.
“For this fight, I trained for six weeks very hard,” he told Kurdistan 24 on Tuesday, adding that “nothing has changed much for the training camp.”
“I’m fighting in Colombia, so my team and I want to make sure I’m on weight before boarding the plane!”
The 23-year-old Kurdish boxer was born in the city of Amed, located in Diyarbakir. He moved to Canada with his family in 2004, where he began his fighting career in Montreal at the age of 16.
The Kurdish athlete told Kurdistan 24 in a previous interview that the adrenaline of fighting made him fall in love with the sport. His dream is to become a world champion in professional boxing.
Before going pro, Akdeniz had recorded over 50 amateur fights. Although he lost five bouts as an amateur, the Kurdish boxer won several regional and national titles.
He made his professional boxing debut at 20 years old on Sept. 28, 2017, winning by unanimous decision in a four-round fight against Ricardo Burgos.
Following his introduction to boxing’s professional fight scene, Akdeniz signed a contract with Lee Baxter Promotions in Ontario.
The well-rounded fighter continues to impress fans at home and abroad and fellow athletes with his powerful striking and dominance in the ring.