There’s no belt connected to this fight, and there doesn’t need to be.
Serhii Bohachuk versus Israil Madrimov – the fight crowned on Tuesday as the co-main event to the Dec. 21 Oleksandr Usyk-Tyson Fury unified heavyweight title rematch in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – is a prospect for pure action.
With both 154-pounders stewing from bitterly narrow losses on the scorecards – Bohachuk by majority decision to Vergil Ortiz Jr. on Aug. 10, one week after Madrimov surrendered his WBA junior-middleweight title to four-division champion Terence Crawford in a similarly narrow defeat – urgency will complement the fan-friendly fighting styles.
“There was no hesitation from either side. They’re both being compensated well. And these are the fights boxing needs – Bohachuk going straight back into a tough fight after feeling he beat Ortiz by knocking him down twice and Madrimov returning from his great showing against Crawford,” Bohachuk promoter Tom Loeffler said.
“Both fighters deserve credit for taking this fight.”
Madrimov (10-1-1, 7 KOs) is expected to report to training camp in Indio, Calif., within days.
His manager, Vadim Kornilov, who is sending light-heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol to an undisputed title fight against Russian countryman Artur Beterbiev Saturday in Riyadh, says Sela, the strategic partner for Riyadh Season and its point man Turki Alalshikh, provided the impetus for the bout.
Alalshikh sat ringside in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, respectively, watching Crawford-Madrimov and Ortiz-Bohachuk, telling Loeffler he believed former WBC interim champion Bohachuk (24-2, 23 KOs) won his fight while praising Madrimov for giving Crawford his fiercest test yet.
When Bohachuk expressed interest in fighting anyone on the Dec. 21 card, Madrimov reached out and requested to be the opponent, Loeffler said.
Kornilov is hopeful that the WBA, WBC or another sanctioning body makes the bout a title eliminator given the quality of the showdown.
“It should be a good one … Madrimov is here to fight,” Kornilov said. “It doesn’t seem like either guy lost their last fight, and now they both want redemption.
“It’s about that and getting yourself right back on the map rather than just fighting anyone. (Madrimov) feels he didn’t lose to Crawford. So we can win this fight and push to fight Crawford again.
“These Riyadh cards are a big deal to us. It’s a lot of exposure and it shows our guys don’t just want a win. They want a challenge.”
Similarly, Ukraine’s Bohachuk is excited for his fight to lead to the main event headed by his countryman Usyk, whom Loeffler helps to promote.
“These are two of the top-five 154 in the world, no question,” Loeffler said in reference to a division that counts Crawford, Sebastian Fundora and Bakhram Murtazaliev as champions with former champion Tim Tszyu fighting for Murtazaliev’s IBF belt Oct. 19 and the unbeaten Ortiz still looming.
“And this is not only one of the best fights that can be made in the division, but one of the best fights that can be made in boxing. You saw from both of them last time out: non-stop punches for all 12 rounds.”
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