Fans began scrambling once the name Israil Madrimov popped up on their screens. The 29-year-old may hold the WBA junior middleweight title, but he’s quiet, unassuming, and humble, and he prefers to stay out of the spotlight. Couple those under-the-radar elements with just 11 pro fights, and it was fairly difficult for even hardcore fans to find proper film on him.
Born in Uzbekistan, Madrimov (10-0-1, 7 KOs) was given the call a few short months ago. On the other line were representatives of Terence Crawford. After a few hassle-free weeks of negotiations, the two agreed to a title fight that will officially take place on August 3rd in Los Angeles.
Madrimov knows he’s an underdog. It’s a role he’s come to accept. But he doesn’t plan on simply sitting back and enjoying the ride while Crawford rips away his title. Instead, he expects to become the first man to hand the pound-for-pound star a loss on his record.
Vergil Ortiz Jr., a highly ranked 154-pound contender in his own right, didn’t feel the need to place Madrimov’s name in the search bar on YouTube and do some research. Having spent a number of sparring sessions together, Ortiz believes he knows Madrimov inside and out.
Overall, the current WBA belt holder is good. Maybe very good. But great? That’s reserved for only Crawford.
“Here’s the thing, and it’s not a diss to him,” explained Ortiz to Fight Hub TV when asked to make a prediction. “I think he’s a good fighter. He’s athletic, he hits hard, and he’s smart, but Crawford’s just a different beast.”
Crawford, shortly, will be making his 154-pound debut after fully unifying the welterweight division. Fighting bigger and stronger men is something that he’ll have to get used to. However, while some question whether or not Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) has the frame to take that sort of pounding, Ortiz is fully convinced that he won’t have many issues in his new weight class. Unless, of course, Crawford runs into one fighter in particular.
“I don’t think anyone, except me, at 154 can beat him.”
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