Throwback fighter Israil Madrimov could take center stage on December 21 with his bout against Serhii Bohachuk in Riyadh. This is the classic definition of former WBA 154lb champion Madrimov’s old school approach.
Old School Grit
The 12-round junior middleweight clash between Madrymov and Bohachuk comes on the back of a Tyson Fury v Alexander Usyk 2 rematch at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. Interestingly, fans are more focused on this fight as Israel has been added to the February 22nd event. There are no top fighters in the sport who fight that often, especially in tough 50-50 matchups.
Madrimov’s bravery in showing this 63-day turnaround between fights is respectable. It’s a shame that other fighters, like Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, won’t want to follow his lead.
Israil Madrimov (10-1-1, 7 KOs) drew a lot of fan interest this week with his fight against WBC Interim Junior Middleweight Champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. February 22. Former amateur star Madrimov puts the Vergil fight and the big payday in jeopardy by facing Bohachuk (24-2, 23 KOs) on December 21st.
Virgil must be nervous that Madrymov could suffer an injury or defeat against Bohachuk. If he needs to be replaced, the likely option for Ortiz Jr. is Xander Zayas on February 22nd. That fight won’t draw nearly as much interest because the 22-year-old Xander has never fought a top fighter.
Madrimov vs. Bohachuk: Overview
It is not a foregone conclusion that Madrymov will beat Bohachuk as he gave Virgil a lot of trouble in their fight last summer on August 10th. Fans still overwhelmingly believe Bohachuk deserves a win against Ortiz Jr., but the Nevada judges gave him a raw deal in a 12-round majority decision loss at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.
Bohachuk’s work rate and heavy punches damaged striker Vergil, who was forced to box in the later rounds as he was out of pocket. We’ve never seen Ortiz Jr. outwit him before, and it was eye-opening. Still, Bohachuk looked like he did more than enough to deserve the win, but again, the decision went to the A-side fighter, Vergil.
Ortiz Jr. vs. Bohachuk Punch Stats
โ Bohachuk: 225 of 832 shots for 27%
โ Virgil the Younger: 265 out of 747 for 35.5%
In Madrimov’s last fight, he came close to defeating Terence Crawford on August 3rd and would have won had he landed more punches. He lit up Crawford with right hands all night and couldn’t miss. In one sequence, Madrimov hit Crawford five times in a row with a right hand without getting anything in return. He made the 37-year-old Nebraska native look his age.
๐ฃ๐ธ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ๐ผ @IsrailMadrimov#BohachukMadrimov ๐ซ #OrtizMadrimov#RiadhSeason pic.twitter.com/5BaIA6CeiM
โ Matchroom Booking (@MatchroomBoking) December 3, 2024
