Serhii Bohachuk says it’s a “joke” for his next opponent, former WBA middleweight champion Israel Madrimov, announced 63 days after his Dec. 21 fight with Vergil Ortiz Jr. on Feb. 22.
Ignored
Bohachuk (24-2, 23 KOs) believes Madrimov and his team would be arrogant to fight Ortiz Jr. when the outcome of their December 21 fight is still undecided. Madrimov (10-1-1, 7 KOs) could suffer a loss or injury and should be removed from the February 22 card.
From Madrimov’s point of view, he certainly does not want to say no to His Highness Turki Allshih about his interest in fighting Virgil Jr. in the big season in Riyadh. How could he say no? The money will be good, and he is not about to refuse Turkey. If the shoe were on the other foot and Bohachuk was the same Turk, he would probably agree.
The 29-year-old Madrymov will be asked to defeat former WBC 154-pound champion Bokhachuk and come through the fight unscathed. He might win, but what are his chances of getting through it without getting cut or taking a heavy penalty that would require a long layoff.
The way Madrimov fought when he lost to Terence Crawford on August 3rd, he won’t beat Bohachuk. He tired in the championship round against Crawford, allowing the 37-year-old to get the better of him in the final stages. Bohachuk is younger, bigger, stronger and has a better work rate than Crawford. If Madrimov cannot match him, he will definitely lose.
“It’s a joke!”
“No, this is a joke for me. They can tell after my fight with Madrimov, okay? And now I’m looking for my fight and you know it’s not serious for me,” Sergey Bokhachuk told DAZN Boxing in response to his Dec. 21 opponent Israel Madrimov, who was scheduled to fight Vergil Ortiz Jr. on Feb. 22.
“You can plan for the future in the fight. No, it’s not football. It’s not a sport anymore. This is boxing. One fight can change everything. I can change your career. It’s not serious for me. It’s like a joke, you know? This is a very serious sport. Here, you don’t know what will happen in the next fight. No, this is a joke, – said Bohachuk angrily.
Bohachuk is understandably dismissive of Madrimov’s selection as Virgil Jr.’s opponent ahead of their Dec. 21 showdown on the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk 2 card. Turki wanted the card to be announced to the public, and the choice of Madrimov made sense, as he will face Crawford on August 3rd in a high-profile fight that was very close.
That match got more attention than Bohachuk vs. Virgil Jr. for obvious reasons. Madrimov fought better in this fight than Bokhachuk in his doubtful loss. He came close to beating Crawford, and he probably will if he lands his hands a little more in rounds 10 to 12.
Bokhachuk calls Madrimov vs. Ortiz a joke 👀#Usyk2Fury | #Riyadh Season | December 21 live on DAZN | @Turki_alalshikh pic.twitter.com/aHhogchUuH
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) December 5, 2024
“We thought Serhiy should have taken the decision or at least retained his title, but Vergil is a great fighter,” promoter Tom Loeffler told Fighthype of Bohachuk’s controversial 12-round majority decision loss to Vergil Ortiz Jr. on Aug. 10. .
Bohachuk came close to defeating Vergil, but the fight fell apart when he couldn’t adapt to the movement he used for three rounds. Ortiz Jr. turned things around in the final quarter of the fight, and Bohachuk was just going after him, not very well.
“Madrimov fought a great fight against Terence Crawford. He is another great fighter in this division. There are so many great names that you can mix them up,” Loeffler said.
