If not for the Canelo Alvarez fight, several fans would have been unaware of Avni Yildirim. However, hardcore fans can never miss out on the 168 lbs elite pugilist.

Nicknamed ‘Mr. Robot’, the Turkish sensation is on the brink of challenging Canelo Alvarez for the WBA and WBC super-middleweight titles. However, he is an underdog on a huge margin.

That said, Avni Yildirim trains under Joel Diaz, one of the best trainers in the sport, and the duo seems ready to land an upset.

Although Canelo Alvarez has an equally skilled trainer in Eddy Reynoso, Joel Diaz is confident in bringing the best out of Avni Yildirim.

Before you tune in to watch Yildirim and Alvarez butt heads against each other, here’s everything you need to know about trainer Joel Diaz.

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Avni Yildirim and Joel Diaz: The boxing duo of the era

Joel Diaz has been a trainer for years and has prepared several youngsters for a professional competition, Meanwhile Avni Yildirim is one of his best disciples who has tasted success on an international stage.

However, not many people know that Joel Diaz has also been a professional boxer in the past. He had a short-lived career for 6 years, 1991 to 1997.

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Competing at the lightweight unit, Diaz was an orthodox boxer and attained a professional record of 18 wins alongside 3 losses. In those 28 wins, Joel Diaz bagged 4 KOs.

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However, he made his name by training others. If Avni Yildirim beats Canelo Alvarez, it will bring a lot of attention to his prowess as a trainer. However, the work is not done yet, and besting Alvarez is easier said than done.

Do you think Joel Diaz is an underrated boxing trainer of the modern era?

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