The fight between former WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov and former WBC 154lb interim champion Serhii Bohachuk will meet next month in a 12-round bout on December 21 at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh over 29 days.
A potential fight of the night contender
Madrimov-Bohachuk will co-feature on the Tyson Fury vs. Meet Oleksandr Usyk 2 card. There is an excellent chance that Madrimov and Bohachuk could steal the show in the main event. It won’t be that hard to do as the previous Fury-Usyk clash earlier this year on May 18 wasn’t that entertaining.
It’s impressive that Madrimov (10-1-1, 7 KOs) and Bohachuk (24-2, 23 KOs) are willing to put up such a tough fight after losing their previous bouts. Both are in a position where they can’t afford to lose again right now if they want to remain viable options for other big fights.
Madrimov is seen by many as the favorite to win on December 21 due to his recent narrow 12-round unanimous decision loss to Terence Crawford on August 3 in Los Angeles. ‘Little GGG’ Madrimov lost with the scores 115-113, 116-112 and 115-113.
Bohachuk won a 12-round majority decision against Vergil Ortiz Jr. on August 10 in Las Vegas. lose. The scores were 113-113, 114-112 and 114-112.
Madrimov-Bohachuk is taking a big risk
“These guys are taking a huge risk by jumping right back into another big fight,” Chris Algieri said Probox TV about the match between Israil Madrimov and Serhii Bohachuk on December 21.
Considering the bleak alternative they face, it’s not that big of a risk. If Madrimov and Bohachuk weren’t willing to take this risky matchup, it could be a long time before they get another big fight. Neither guy is popular in the US, and they’ll need to beat some established contenders like Erickson Lubin, Charles Conwell and Tim Tszyu to position themselves for a shot at a title.
“Two rugby losses, it’s really hard to come back from. As long as these guys step up and put on a good show, I think we’re going to see both guys around,” Algieri said. “This division is deep, but these guys are outstanding, and they belong in that top five group when you’re talking about 154 pounds.”
Madrimov disappointed some fans with his failure to fight aggressively in the championship rounds against the 37-year-old Crawford. Despite the size, strength, youth and experience advantage at 154 over Crawford, Madrimov did not let his hands go to fight hard in the last four rounds from nine to twelve.
“Maybe it’s because they are Eastern Europeans. Maybe it’s because a guy like Madrimov is fast tracking because of his amateur background. Bohachuk took to Brandon Adams much earlier in his career,” Algieri said.
“Both of them have to fight back, especially for Bohachuk. “I must go to this now, or I must hang it up.” How does this happen? Turki Alalshikh put up the money to let these guys take chances. They’re going to get paid and have a big platform.”
Without the money Bohachuk and Madrimov are getting, they probably would have chosen to play it safe against a weaker opponent rather than take this risky match. On paper, they both look brave to take this fight, but what fans don’t realize is that they are being paid well. The Fury-Usyk 2 undercard is weak, so at least one good fight had to be added to it.
“I like the shift we’re seeing that you don’t have to have an O to be on one of these big cards,” Algieri said.
“I’m all for Madrimov. He still carries himself like a champ. He lost by a hair (to Terence Crawford). I believe he believes he won that battle. I rate Madrimov behind Crawford as the best guy in the division.”
