Avni Yidirim is looking for an immediate rematch with newly crowned WBC Super Middleweight champion Anthony Dirrell, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.
“My dream of becoming the first world champion from Turkey was finished but not with a clear ending,” Yildirim said in a statement. “I accept the result. I don’t ask to change the result of the fight. I please ask for WBC to support a direct rematch. I respect Dirrell and I know he wants to fight me again to show in the ring who is the best with a final and clear ending.”
“I fought my best fight of life,” Yildirim said. “I go always forward and fight with heart, honor and pride. I respect WBC and the judges and referee. I am sorry that accidental head-butts happened and finished the fight before the fight was complete. I was coming on very strong and decisively won round 8 and 9 and then fight was stopped in the middle of round 10. The fight did not finish. Round 10 did not finish and I lost on the scorecards of two judges because round 10 was scored for Dirrell, but round was not finished. If I win round 10 then fight was a draw.”