Former 154-lb champions Israil Madrimov and Serhii Bohachuk have been inserted into the co-feature spot for the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk 2 rematch on December 21st in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
(Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)
The undercard for the December 21st Fury-Usyk 2 event is extremely poor, but the Madrimov vs. Bochuk fight could make it worthwhile for fans to tune in.
Both fighters, Madrimov & Bohachuk, are coming off losses in fights they could have easily won. The former WBA junior middleweight champion Madrimov (10-1-1, 7 KOs) lost his last fight to Terence Crawford on August 3rd, losing by a narrow 12-round unanimous decision.
If Madrimov had let his hands go more and not continually clinched in the final three rounds, he would have beaten Crawford. That was a rookie mistake for Madrimov, and he blew his chance to upset the popular fighter, who fans feel is a legend.
Former WBC interim champion Bohachuk (26-2, 23 KOs) lost a close 12 round majority decision to Vergil Ortiz Jr. on August 10th at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.
Bohachuk went wrong by not pressing the fight harder in the final three rounds when Vergil Jr. took the fight outside to box. Bohachuk’s trainer should have noticed what Ortiz Jr. was doing and told him to attack because it was obvious what Vergil was doing.
He’d been outslugged and had too much punishment in rounds one through nine and was going to steal the fight by boxing. He still appeared to lose, but the judges gave it to him. Ortiz Jr. was the A-side, so it wasn’t a surprise that he was given the win.
Madrimov-Bohachuk could outshine the main event between an aging former WBC heavyweight champion, Fury, and WBA/WBC/WBO champ Usyk. Fury is pretty old and doesn’t possess the fight that he once had in him to entertain.
Other fights on Fury vs. Usyk 2 Undercard:
– Moses Itauma vs. Demsey Mckean
– Johnny Fisher vs. Dave Allen
– Dennis McCann vs. Peter McGrail
– Isaac Lowe vs. Lee McGregor
Before the two giants collide in Fury vs Usyk Reignited, the undercard is set to light up the ring 🔥 With some of the biggest names in boxing stepping into the ring, these matchups will set the stage for an unforgettable night 🥊
Mark your calendars—December 21 is a night you… pic.twitter.com/nwvGp1ifXd
— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) October 8, 2024
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