Anthony Yigit suffered a brutal eye injury as he was handed his first professional defeat to Ivan Baranchyk on Saturday.
Yigit’s left eye took enormous punishment in his World Boxing Super Series super-lightweight championship defeat in New Orleans – forcing an early stoppage.
What started as a black eye suffered in the second round worsened as the fight wore on with a cricket ball-sized swelling ensuring his eye was completely closed by the end of the fifth round.
Somewhat surprisingly, Yigit’s corner resisted the urge to throw the towel in as their fighter battled on.
By the end of the seventh round the decision was taken to save Yigit from further damage by the fight doctor – a decision the Swede protested against despite his grizzly wound.
Baranchyk meanwhile moves into the semi-final stage of the World Boxing Super Series where he will take on the winner of Ryan Martin vs Scotland’s Josh Taylor.
