# Edis Tatli

Edis Tatli (born 13 August 1987) is a Finnish professional boxer. He has held the European lightweight title twice between 2015 and 2018, and has challenged once for the WBA lightweight title in 2014.

## Early life

Tatli was born in Prizren, Yugoslavia, in present-day Kosovo, to a Turkish father and Albanian mother. He moved to Finland at the age of four and was raised in Hämeenlinna. Having first trained in karate as a youth, at age fourteen he started boxing and won his first Finnish Amateur Championship title in 2004.

## Professional career

Tatli turned professional in 2007. In December 2012, he won the vacant EBU-EU lightweight title against Paolo Gassani and in March 2013, Tatli beat Felix Lora for the WBA Inter-Continental lightweight title. He successfully defended the title against Mzonke Fana in December 2013 and against Antonio De Vitis in May 2014.
In July 2014, it was announced that Tatli will challenge Richard Abril for the WBA lightweight world champion title on September 20 in Helsinki. Tatli is the second Finnish boxer fighting for the World Championship title. Olli Mäki lost a featherweight championship match to Davey Moore in August 1962 at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium. The fight between Abril and Tatli is promoted by Olli's son Pekka Mäki of P3 Boxing Oy. He lost the fight by majority decision
He was supposed to fight the EBU lightweight champion Emiliano Marsili on 25 April. Marsili got injured and vacated the belt. Tatli fought Yvan Mendy instead for the EBU lightweight title, and won the fight by unanimous decision.
Edis Tatli was scheduled to face two time lightweight challenger Kevin Mitchell on 18 March 2016, in Finland, but on 10 February, Mitchell announced his retirement and withdrawal from the fight. Tatli instead faced Massimiliano Ballisai and won the fight by unanimous decision.
On 13 August 2016, Tatli defended his European title against Christian Morales by unanimous decision.
On 6 May 2017, Tatli was slated to defend his EBU lightweight belt against the highly rated Francesco Patera in his native Finland. The bout would start slow, with both boxers coming up to speed as the fight progressed. Patera was the busier man, but Tatli scored the powershots. The fight was ruled a split-decision win for Patera, with the judges scoring the fight 112-116, 113-115 and 116-112 for Patera.
In the immediate rematch, the fight was fast and entertaining from the beginning. Both fighters traded throughout the fight, with Tatli being the one whose shots visibly affected his opponent. Tatli was aggressive for most of the time, and even though he didn't manage to score a knockdown, all judges scored the fight 119-109 for the Finn, allowing him to retain the EBU lightweight title.
On 20 April 2019, Tatli fought rising prospect Teofimo Lopez, who was ranked #4 by the WBA, WBC and IBF and #5 by the WBO at lightweight. As many expected, Lopez ended the fight inside the distance with a vicious body shot in the fifth round, from which Tatli could not get up.
Tatli returned to the ring against Berman Sánchez on 10 August 2019, winning the bout via unanimous decision.
He was scheduled to fight for the EBU lightweight title against Gianluca Ceglia in May 2020, but the bout was postponed to take place on 8 August 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In turn, the bout was postponed twice due to Tatli's shoulder surgery. The fight was cancelled, it was expected to take place on 14 August 2021.

## Other appearances

In Autumn 2018, Tatli won as a first athlete Dancing with the Stars, the Finnish version of the dance contest Strictly Come Dancing.

## Professional boxing record

| 35 fights | 32 wins | 3 losses |
| By knockout | 10 | 1 |
| By decision | 22 | 2 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
| 35 | Win | 32–3 | Berman Sánchez | UD | 8 | 14 Aug 2019 | Olavinlinna, Savonlinna, Finland | |
| 34 | Loss | 31–3 | Teófimo López | KO | 5 (12), 1:32 | 20 Apr 2019 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, US | For WBC-NABF lightweight title |
| 33 | Win | 31–2 | Frank Urquiaga | UD | 12 | 11 Aug 2018 | Savonlinna, Finland | Retained European lightweight title |
| 32 | Win | 30–2 | Francesco Patera | UD | 12 | 12 Dec 2017 | Töölö Sports Hall, Helsinki, Finland | Won European lightweight title |
| 31 | Loss | 29–2 | Francesco Patera | SD | 12 | 7 May 2017 | Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland | Lost European lightweight title |
| 30 | Win | 29–1 | Manuel Lancia | TKO | 9 (12), 1:57 | 17 Dec 2016 | Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland | Retained European lightweight title |
| 29 | Win | 28–1 | Christian Morales | UD | 12 | 13 Aug 2016 | Olavinlinna, Savonlinna, Finland | Retained European lightweight title |
| 28 | Win | 27–1 | Massimiliano Ballisai | UD | 12 | 19 Mar 2016 | Metro Areena, Espoo, Finland | Retained European lightweight title |
| 27 | Win | 26–1 | Ramaz Bebnadze | TKO | 3 (8), 2:59 | 21 Nov 2015 | Töölön Kisahalli, Helsinki, Finland | |
| 26 | Win | 25–1 | Yvan Mendy | UD | 12 | 25 Apr 2015 | Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland | Won vacant European lightweight title |
| 25 | Win | 24–1 | Olegs Vilcans | TKO | 1 (12), 0:40 | 24 Jan 2015 | Ringside Gym, Helsinki, Finland | |
| 24 | Loss | 23–1 | Richar Abril | MD | 12 | 20 Sep 2014 | Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland | For WBA lightweight title |
| 23 | Win | 23–0 | Antonio De Vitis | TKO | 8 (12), 0:01 | 9 May 2014 | Urheilutalo, Helsinki, Finland | Retained WBA Inter-Continental lightweight title |
| 22 | Win | 22–0 | Mzonke Fana | UD | 12 | 7 Dec 2013 | Barona Areena, Espoo, Finland | Retained WBA Inter-Continental lightweight title |
| 21 | Win | 21–0 | Innocent Anyanwu | KO | 5 (8), 2:00 | 17 Aug 2013 | Olavinlinna, Savonlinna, Finland | |
| 20 | Win | 20–0 | Felix Lora | UD | 12 | 9 Mar 2013 | Barona Areena, Espoo, Finland | Won WBA Inter-Continental lightweight title |
| 19 | Win | 19–0 | Paolo Gassani | TKO | 1 (10), 1:26 | 8 Dec 2012 | Ringside Gym, Espoo, Finland | Won vacant European Union lightweight title |
| 18 | Win | 18–0 | Sherzodbek Mamadjanov | UD | 8 | 31 May 2012 | Ufa Arena, Ufa, Russia | |
| 17 | Win | 17–0 | Sarfo Tyson | TKO | 1 (10), 1:35 | 31 Mar 2012 | Barona Areena, Espoo, Finland | |
| 16 | Win | 16–0 | Pasquale di Silvio | UD | 10 | 3 Dec 2011 | Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland | |
| 15 | Win | 15–0 | John Nolasco | UD | 8 | 7 May 2011 | Ice Hall, Helsinki, Finland | |
| 14 | Win | 14–0 | Stuart Green | UD | 8 | 4 Mar 2011 | Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland | |
| 13 | Win | 13–0 | Asan Yuseinov | RTD | 6 (8), 3:00 | 27 Nov 2010 | Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland | |
| 12 | Win | 12–0 | Ruddy Encarnacion | UD | 8 | 4 Sep 2010 | Töölö Sports Hall, Helsinki, Finland | |
| 11 | Win | 11–0 | Damien Martin | UD | 6 | 26 Mar 2010 | Töölö Sports Hall, Helsinki, Finland | |
| 10 | Win | 10–0 | Nikolajs Jasenko | TKO | 1 (6), 0:40 | 12 Dec 2009 | Aladdin Bar & Night Club, Espoo, Finland | |
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | Alex Bone | UD | 6 | 24 Oct 2009 | Urheilutalo, Helsinki, Finland | |
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Walberto Gaxiola | KO | 1 (6), 2:48 | 18 Apr 2009 | Töölö Sports Hall, Helsinki, Finland | |
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Sento Martinez | UD | 6 | 14 Feb 2009 | Pyynikin Palloiluhalli, Tampere, Finland | |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Juan Zapata | UD | 6 | 28 Nov 2008 | Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Idiozan Matos | UD | 6 | 30 Aug 2008 | Metroauto-areena, Tampere, Finland | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Leonti Vorontsuk | UD | 4 | 14 Jun 2008 | Kamppailuopisto, Espoo, Finland | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Alexander Saltykov | UD | 4 | 18 Apr 2008 | Töölö Sports Hall, Helsinki, Finland | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Juris Ivanovs | UD | 4 | 1 Feb 2008 | Töölö Sports Hall, Helsinki, Finland | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Mohammed Ali Cherif | UD | 4 | 22 Oct 2007 | Töölö Sports Hall, Helsinki, Finland | |