Anthony Crolla Defeats Daud Yordan; Becomes Mandatory for Lomachenko

Anthony Crolla has asserted his position as the number one contender for Vasyl Lomachenko’s WBA lightweight championship with a unanimous decision victory over Indonesian Daud Yordan, with a trio of 116-112 scorecards.

The hometown favourite now potentially has the opportunity to challenge for his former belt in addition to the WBO championship, as reigning champion and pound-for-pound superstar Lomachenko bids to unify titles against Jose Pedraza in December

Crolla was able to maintain his composure amidst a steady stream of pressure from Yordan, and navigate through some tense early rounds to pull away with the victory.

Both fighters displayed impressive fitness and stamina throughout, as Yordan attempted to continuously press the action but struggled somewhat to pin down his elusive opponent, who was moving well and disrupting Yordan’s rhythm with combinations.

Nevertheless, Yordan did enjoy a certain degree of success pinning Crolla against the ropes, and momentarily stunned the Mancunian with a crunching body shot in the sixth round.

However, Crolla was able to withstand Yordan’s relentless assault and continued to frustrate the Indonesian with his movement and high-output, peppering Yordan with punches whenever the Indonesian attempted to set up his own.

Crolla was able to see out a crucial win in front of a home crowd and now has the opportunity to challenge for another world title against one of the world’s best.