After nearly a year of inactivity due to the global pandemic, Mazlum Akdeniz will have a chance to remind people why he’s one of the top super lightweight prospects in the world.
Akdeniz, who is handled by Lee Baxter Promotions, will return to action on January 30 in Sucre, Colombia against an opponent yet to be named. It will be his first bout since a knockout win over journeyman Elliott Brown on February 8 of 2020.
With the frequency of events gradually picking up across the globe and solutions to staging safe events being generated, Akdeniz is looking to make up for lost time in 2021.
“Lee called me and he said if you’re ready, I’ll make a fight. I’m a fighter who loves to fight every month, every two months. I think a fighter should always be active. Sugar Ray said the worst thing for a fighter is inactivity, and that’s real,” said Akdeniz. “To be honest, I want to fight seven or eight times this year. In the amateurs, I was doing six fights in a week, so I’m not too worried about it. Lee said you know what, let’s take back the time we lost.”
The 23-year old currently sits at 11-0 with six knockouts, to go along with a storied amateur career coming up through the Canadian amateur system. The 23-year old came out of the unpaid ranks with a considerable amount of promise, as one of the more accomplished amateurs to come out of the Canadian program in some time. In addition to winning the 2015 Ringside Championships, Akdeniz also scored a win over Jorge Moiran Vinent, becoming the first Quebec-based boxer to defeat a Cuban fighter since the legendary Jean Pascal in 2005.
“Canadian prospects don’t get the same level of hype as prospects from other countries, but we truly believe Mazlum is as good as any up-and-coming fighter in the world right now,” said promoter Lee Baxter. “Lots of people talk about Elvis Rodriguez as the top 140-pound prospect in the game right now, but I think Mazlum will have something to say about that in the coming year or two.”
The Montreal resident has scored knockouts in four of his last five outings, and will now fight outside of North America for the first time as a professional.
“To be honest, I wouldn’t mind going a few rounds. Going a few rounds wouldn’t be bad for me, because I can still work on some things. But if it’s over in two rounds, we’ll take it. We’re not paid for overtime,” said Akdeniz.
Baxter says the plan is to keep his blue chipper as busy as possible in 2021, even if that means keeping him on the road where opportunities are available, as no Canadian province is currently sanctioning events.
“By the end of the year, I want to fight for some kind of title, even a regional title, but next year, I’ll be ready to fight for a world title,” said Akdeniz. “Fights against someone like Elvis Rodriguez, these are fights that will be meaningful in two years.”