Israil Madrimov will face Serhii Bohachuk this month in a 12-round fight on December 21st, then make a quick comeback 63 days later to challenge Virgil Ortiz Jr. on February 22nd. for his interim WBC junior middleweight title. Both fights are in Riyadh.
Running The Gauntlet
If former WBA 154 lb champion ‘Little GGG’ Madrimov (10-1, 7 KOs) makes it through those two fights, he will face Terence Crawford, Bohachuk and Ortiz Jr. in back-to-back fights. That’s the classic definition of running a gauntlet.
Getting through a 12-round war with Bohachuk will be tough enough for Madrimov without getting cut or beaten. But returning two months later to take on killer Vergil Ortiz Jr for his WBC 154lb interim title will be a physical feat. But if anyone can do it, Madrimov can. He had over 350+ amateur fights and he was used to fighting often.
Bohachuk (24-2, 23 KOs) is a tough fighter, who many felt was robbed in his last fight against Virgil Ortiz Jr. on August 10th in Las Vegas. He lost a 12-round majority decision to Ortiz Jr., and it was seen as a highly controversial decision.
The fact that Virgil Jr. chose not to give Bohachuk a rematch is the highest form of respect, showing that he didn’t want a second helping of the punishment handed down to him by the Ukrainian talent.
There’s no word on who His Excellency Turki Alalshik has on standby in case ‘Little GGG’ Madrimov gets injured or gets too beat up in his Dec. 21 fight with Bohachuk to face Vergil Ortiz Jr. on Feb. 22. It would be disappointing for the fans if Madrymov was replaced Xander Zaias for the fight of Virgil the Younger.
Zaias (20-0, 12 KOs) is much less fun to watch, seen as a hype job created by Top Rank, who have matched him against an incorrigible opponent throughout his career. If Madrymov can’t fight Ortiz, hopefully a better replacement opponent will be chosen, someone like Erislandi Lara or Eriksson Lubin.
One of the biggest congratulations ever on February 22 in Riyadh 🥊🔥#BigTime#RiadhSeason pic.tvitter.com/4jKEovMKSvD
— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) December 2, 2024