Mazlum Akdeniz Ready for the Next Level

By William Dumoulin
Photo credit: GYM / Sébastien Jetté

Thursday night at the Cabaret du Casino de Montréal marked the return of undefeated boxer Mazlum Akdeniz (21-0, 8 KOs) in a gala presented by Groupe Yvon Michel, titled Les Gladiateurs du Ring. In his first fight in nearly eight months, the Quebecer of Kurdish descent faced Ghana’s Gabriel Coffie (11-3-2, 10 KOs).

A Dominant Performance from Akdeniz

After a cautious first round, adjusting to his opponent’s reach advantage, Akdeniz began landing consistently with body shots, followed by sharp left overhands. Defensively solid, he stayed compact throughout the 10-round battle, which played out largely in close quarters. The contest ended in a unanimous decision victory (100-90, 99-91 x 2) for the Quebec fighter, securing his 21st professional win.

Akdeniz has proven he’s ready to take the next step, convincingly outclassing Coffie. His next fight could take place as early as May.

Remember the Name: Omar Zaatiti Alieh

The co-main event of the evening saw the professional debut of a boxer many consider Quebec’s brightest prospect since Jean Pascal: Omar Zaatiti Alieh (1-0, 1 KO). Facing him was Czech fighter Marek Cureja (3-5, 3 KOs). Displaying sharp combinations, Omar connected with a powerful left hook to the body, ending the fight in the very first round.

A name to remember: Omar Zaatiti Alieh. He is set to return to the ring on February 27, as part of the undercard for the bout between Kim Clavel and Anabel Ortiz.

Second Pro Win for Loick Lahaie

In just his second professional fight, Sherbrooke’s Loick Lahaie (2-0, 0 KOs) took on Mexico’s Jacobo Guerra (3-1, 1 KO), now based in Toronto. Over four rounds, Lahaie displayed a methodical and technical approach, securing a dominant unanimous decision victory (40-35 x 3).

Other Results from the Evening

• Ayoub Maanni (2-0, 2 KOs) defeated DeJon Farell-Francis (1-3, 0 KOs) by TKO in the second round.
• Victor Tremblay (1-0, 1 KO) knocked out Sherif Anim (3-3, 3 KOs) in the second round.
• Theo Owusu (6-0-1, 4 KOs) delivered a spectacular KO against Eduardo Cortes Molina (1-3-1, 1 KO).
• Kirill Bazhenov (2-0, 1 KO) defeated Lukas Matta (1-1, 1 KO) by unanimous decision (40-36 x 2, 39-37) to open the gala.