Jordan Gill (Former European featherweight champion)
Yarde really impressed me and I thought he was slightly up (on the scorecards) at the time of the stoppage. His fighting spirit and the heart he showed should be enough to earn anyone’s respect. I’m a fan! Beterbiev is elite, but Yarde really pushed him in his hardest fight to date. It was a shame about the result, but he played his part in a modern-day classic.
Joe Gallagher (Top trainer)
I was impressed with Yarde. I thought he did very well early on in the fight and caused Beterbiev plenty of problems. But, once again, Beterbiev showed that he can overcome any type of problem or situation and find a way to win. As I have said all along, it’s that overhand right that always causes his opponents problems eventually.
Ryan Walsh (Former British featherweight champion)
Massively. He was seriously hanging with a serious, serious fighter. He will and should be proud of his effort. He lost to an elite-level fighter with elite power and there’s never any shame in losing to the better man. Props to Tunde Ajayi, too. I’d always prefer the referee to stop the fight but he knows his fighter best.
Gareth A Davies (Journalist)
Very impressed by Yarde. He put more dents in Beterbiev than we’ve seen against other world-level opponents and he definitely hurt him during the fight. Yarde’s game plan was perfect. His heart, resilience, power, strength and stamina were all there in the first half of the fight and it was only the equalising power that Beterbiev carries that ended the night for Yarde. I think Yarde goes on to be a world champion once Bivol and Beterbiev have gone, but he came up against a modern master in this fight.
