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Former champion Tevin Farmer targeting encounter with No. 1 Joe Cordina

The pandemic that turned the world upside down in 2020 had a differing impact on almost everyone around the globe. 

People lost loved ones, suffered from mental health issues and some saw promising careers shelved. The career of Tevin Farmer (32-5,1 7 KOs) stalled as a consequence.

In January 2020, Farmer was a world champion and sought to unify his world title if he could best Jojo Diaz. But Diaz won a narrow decision and despite Farmer’s best efforts he could not secure a rematch with Diaz.

In fact, Farmer could not land a fight of any standing until 2023, returning to action in his native Philadelphia in June last year. 

There were signs of ring rust when Farmer boxed Avery Sparrow, scraping a narrow unanimous points win over 10 rounds to break an almost three-and-a-half-year absence from the sport. Farmer returned swiftly following the Sparrow win in September, claiming a crunching sixth-round knockout over Oscar Barajas again in Philadelphia. 

The 33-year-old Farmer is now aiming towards bigger and better things and seeking to reintroduce himself amongst the best in the super-featherweight division and he has already targeted who he would like to face at 130lbs, IBF champion Joe Cordina (17-0, 9KOs). 

“I got a hit list,” Farmer told Seconds Out. “Of course, Joe Cordina is the No. 1 guy.”

Cordina, two times a champion with the IBF after being harshly stripped of the world title he acquired in 2022 due to a hand injury, recaptured the belt in a thrilling points win against Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov in April. Cordina defended his title for the first time in Monte-Carlo against Edward Vazquez successfully in November via points. 

Cordina, however, is seeking to unify his IBF title and look forward rather than fighting the likes of Farmer, having seemingly missed out on lucrative fights with Leigh Wood and Josh Warrington. 

Farmer, however, believes that the IBF title Cordina holds should be his, insisting he will always have an issue with whoever holds the title until he has been allowed to fight for it again. 

“The IBF that he now has, I feel like it’s supposed to be mine,” Farmer added.