Israil Madrimov Ready To Shock The World Against Terence Crawford: ‘It’s My Time’
Israil Madrimov says he is ready to flip the script and deliver Terence Crawford the first defeat of his career when the pair meet in their highly anticipated bout on August 3.
Madrimov (10-0-1 7 KO) puts his WBA super-welterweight world title on the line against two-weight undisputed world champion Crawford (40-0-0 31 KO) in Los Angeles in the headline bout of Riyadh Season’s debut card in the United States.
Much of the attention, understandably, has been on pound-for-pound star Crawford, who makes his long-awaited return to the ring more than a year after his career-defining destruction of Errol Spence Jr to become undisputed at 147lbs. Victory over Madrimov will see Crawford win a world title in a third weight class.
However, Uzbekistan’s Madrimov has other plans and believes his greater experience at super-welterweight – despite only being 11 fights into his pro career – can make the difference.
Madrimov Dismisses Experience Concerns
“He’s a great fighter. All around, he has every tool,” Madrimov said in an interview with BoxingScene. “But I feel like this is my division. I fought at a higher weight class in the amateurs, 165 (totaling 330 bouts) And since I’ve turned pro at 154, every fight has been big. I had six final eliminators.
“What everyone’s saying about experience, my 11 fights in the pros is not the same as everyone else. This is my division. He’s moving up. I know he has all the skills. But it’s my division and it’s my time.”
Madrimov, who turned pro in November 2018 after an exemplary amateur career that included gold medals at the Asian Games and Asian Championships, won his first world title with a fifth-round stoppage of Magomed Kurbanov in March.
That triumph occurred in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s second-round main event knockout of MMA star Francis Ngannou, which helped the Uzbek get on the radar of Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh.
Alalshikh is the key figure behind Riyadh Season’s boxing events both in Saudi Arabia and now internationally, starting in Los Angeles on August 3, before the September 21 card in London headlined by Joshua and IBF heavyweight world champion Daniel Dubois.
The L.A. show will also feature a succession of exciting bouts on the undercard. WBA super-lightweight world champion Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz, former unified heavyweight world champion Andy Ruiz, fast-rising heavyweight contender Jared Anderson, David Morrell in his light-heavyweight debut, and exciting lightweight talent Andy Cruz will also be in action.
‘The Best Man In The Ring Will Win’
“I’m very excited, very happy and pleased about the way things are playing out,” Madrimov said. “It’s always been my dream to fight such a big pound-for-pound name. For me, he’s No. 1 in the world. It’s a big honor, a great opportunity to change my life – my family’s life. In the history of boxing, nothing like this [card] has ever been done.”
Alalshikh is taking an active role in Crawford’s career and has frequently described ‘Bud’ as the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet. Speculation has even increased about Alalshikh being determined to set up a mega-bout between Crawford and Canelo Alvarez once the American has defeated Madrimov.
Long-term planning is nothing new in boxing, but neither is fighters coming in and ruining those plans – and Madrimov is determined to put a pin in Crawford v Canelo.
“It’s not something I look at because he’s an athlete. He’s not looked at as a guy who’s smoking, drinking, partying,” 29-year-old Madrimov said when asked about the seven-year age difference between him and 36-year-old Crawford. “I know for sure once I beat him, people will say he turned old.
“But you’re only as good as your last fight, and he showed the best fight of his career in his last performance. So I’m expecting the best Terence Crawford who can possibly step in the ring – comfortable and confident. I feel like we’re both in our best mode, and the best man in the ring will win.”
