Make FightsATW Your Preferred Combat Sports Source
Enjoy our boxing and wrestling coverage? Add Fights Around The World as a Preferred Source on Google so our latest stories can show up more often in your Top Stories.
Add FightsATW on GoogleOver the weekend at the SAP Center in San Jose, CA, cruiserweight Robin Safar earned a split decision over Yamil Peralta, who is ranked #2 by the WBC, in a tightly contested fight. Although fans on social media were split on who won, Safar is ready to replace Peralta in the rankings and face the WBC champion Noel Mikaelian next.
Safar (20-0, 13 KOs) is a 33-year-old Swedish fighter who lives in Las Vegas, NV. He was linked to a potential fight with Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez earlier in the year, but Zurdo opted for the Benavidez fight. Safar couldn’t get the Zurdo fight because the dates didn’t line up after he injured his right knuckle in his November fight. With the Zurdo fight off the table, the next best option was to fight a top contender, Peralta.
While ranked #12 by the WBC heading into fight night, Safar knew this was a step up in competition, but one that could be a risk worth taking. When the fight began on Saturday night, Safar wasn’t punching his way inside, and in the second round he got caught with a right hand that sent him to the canvas for the first time in his career. Safar would quickly beat the count, but it was a moment he wasn’t too fond of.
“To be honest, I have nothing to blame but myself,” Safar told FightsATW. “I came in overconfident. A little too confident; almost arrogant. Not because of how I was talking, because that’s just a show, but I’m talking more in my mind. In the end, it’s fighting. Everyone at this level is trying to feed their family and trying to hurt you.”
“It was also the first time I’ve been put on my as$. That was another thing I had to get over. I got emotional after I got dropped. Even though it was a flash knockdown and I wasn’t hurt, it kinda embarrassed me a little bit, and I got even more mad. I wanted to hurt him, but then I was thinking that I needed to keep these emotions inside of me, so I don’t get tired. But what happened was that after that, I started thinking about what he was doing instead of what I was going to do. I got too cautious.”
Peralta would have his way through the first four rounds, but Safar then got going in the fifth, and that momentum lasted until the tenth round. During the championship rounds, the fight was tightly contested and could have gone either way. Although Safar was knocked down early in the fight, he still felt confident he could win, and that confidence carried him throughout the remainder of the fight.
“I tore my bicep in a fight a couple of years ago, and I still came out on top,” said Safar. “This gave me confirmation that I can go through the fire and still come out on top. It doesn’t matter what happens in that ring; I will still find a way to come out on top. My superpower is finding a way to win.”
Safar continued, “That was a C- performance on my end. He did a good performance on that day, but I still beat him. It could have gone either way, and I’m blessed I won on my worst day.”
After looking back at the fight, Safar said there were things he could’ve done differently that could have resulted in a more definitive victory. But even though he had a tough day at the office, Safar is welcoming the experience he gained from the fight.
“I could have let my hands go more and started earlier,” he said. “I should have fought him like I did (Sergey) Kovalev. I had a plan in my head of how I was going to fight him. No excuses. I just learned so much from this, and I’m just so blessed by it. There are so many things I could say. Everybody’s camp ain’t good. I found a way to win, even though I hit the canvas on the worst day of my life, and I still found a way to win.”
After the fight, Golden Boy’s President Eric Gomez called Safar to congratulate him on his win. One thing Safar and his promoter can agree on right now is that winning the world title is the ultimate goal. Although Safar has only one fight remaining on his contract with Golden Boy, if he secures a world title fight and wins, that will trigger an extension with his promoter. With the WBC rankings for June set to be posted in a few weeks, Safar is anticipating his name will be in the top five and that he will have a shot at the WBC champion, Mikaelian.
For Safar, the Mikaelian fight is a little personal because he was ringside when his fellow countryman and friend, Badou Jack, lost his title to Mikaelian. That’s why Safar didn’t hesitate when asked who he wants next, saying, “I want to fight Noel next.” If he can’t get the WBC champion, Safar would look to fight the highest-ranked fighter at the time, in hopes of forcing a mandatory situation shortly after.
Until everything is sorted out, Safar has to remain patient and stay ready for when that call does come in for his next fight. When reflecting on how the first six months of this year have gone now that he was able to compete in his first of 2026, Safar told FightsATW, “Getting back to my path and mentally coming back.”
“Last year was a lot of adversity, even though I signed with Golden Boy. The hard part for boxers isn’t fighting or training. It’s how you live your life outside the ring. I’m not talking about lifestyle-wise, but more so mentally. That’s more important than anything in boxing. We are just going up from here.”
Safar was able to come away with a decision victory over a tricky top contender and feels he is now ready for a title shot. The cruiserweight division has some good names, but industry politics may come into play if he can’t get a title shot next. Either way, Safar wants fans to know he is calling out the top names, so let’s see if he can get any of them before the end of the year.
Discover more from Fights Around The World
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
