WBC interim junior middleweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. predicts his fight with former WBA champ Israil Madrimov will be one of the “classic fights” that used to be shown on HBO before they stopped broadcasting on October 27, 2018.
Ortiz Jr. vs. Madrimov will fight on February 22nd on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2 in Riyadh. The event will be shown live on DAZN PPV.
Vergil Jr. (22-0, 21 KOs) will need Madrimov (10-1-1, 7 KOs) to assist him in making this a “classic fight” by slugging it out with him like his last opponent, former WBC interim 154-lb champion Serhii Bohachuk did on August 10th last year in their 12 round battle in Las Vegas.
Ortiz Jr. got the worst of it in that fight and was very lucky to be given a decision by the Nevada judges because Bohachuk worked him over, dropping him twice and hurting him in the fight. This time, Vergil won’t have the Nevada judges to bail him out if he takes a similar beating, but maybe he won’t need them.
Madrimov doesn’t throw nearly as many punches as Bohachuk, and that could cost him the fight if he’s unwilling to match the high output and pressure from Ortiz Jr. In Madrimov’s last fight, he was outworked by Terence Crawford down the stretch to lose a close 12-round unanimous decision on August 3rd in Los Angeles.
The Last Crescendo
Israil Madrimov: “I’m happy to be here. It’s a big chance. It’s a huge card. I’m looking forward to it. I’m going to try my best to do well in this fight. It’s one of the most important fights in my life,” said Madrimov during today’s press conference for his fight against Vergil Ortiz Jr. on February 22nd. “I want to show great fight to the boxing fans.”
Vergil Ortiz Jr. “Oh yeah, of course. I welcome any challenge. I’m very grateful to be on this card, ‘The Last Crescendo.’ I don’t even know what that means. I’m going to have to Google that after this. I’m very honored to be on here. I want to fight the best. I don’t care who it is.
“We went from Bohachuk. We were going to fight Boots. That fell through. Now, we’re fighting Madrimov. I just want to be a throwback fighter. Those fighters that we used to watch on HBO Boxing. I want to be one of those HBO Classic Fights. That’s the goal.
“This is going to be a classic fight for sure. I feel this fight has the potential to steal the night, and I’m very excited for it. I’m very motivated. Madrimov is an elite fighter, and I’m excited to share the ring with him.
“I learned a lot, and I’m sure he did too,” said Vergil Jr. about sparring with Madrimov in the past. “That’s why I’m saying it’s going to be a real fan-friendly fight.”
