WBA junior middleweight champion Israil ‘The Dream’ Madrimov 10-0-1 (7) has every chance of upsetting former two-weight undisputed champion Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford 40-0 (31) when they meet at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California on August 3.
The 29-year-old Madrimov of Uzbekistan is lightly-raced as a pro, but reportedly logged a record of 350-20 in the amateurs. The lone blemish on his professional record is a technical draw against Michel Soro two years ago when their bout was stopped in the third round after Soro suffered a cut eye from an unintentional clash of heads and ruled unfit to continue by the ringside physician.
Omaha, Nebraska’s credentials are well known. The 36-year-old southpaw currently sits at number three in The Ring’s pound-for-pound rankings, while other media outlets have him at number one. The fight against Madrimov will be his first at 154-pounds after previously attaining undisputed status as 140 and 147-pounds.
It will be his first fight in a full year following his ninth-round knockout of Errol Spence Jr last July.
The bookmakers think that Crawford’s pedigree at the lighter weights will transfer up to junior middleweight. But Eddie Hearn, who represents Madrimov and is one of many co-promoters of the event, says the underdog is being overlooked, particularly with the talk that Crawford could jump up a further two divisions after this to challenge undisputed super middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez 61-2-2 (39).
“I think they’re underestimating him. He’s extremely tough, he hits very hard and it’s all like, ‘Canelo after this’,” Hearn said to Fight Hub TV.
“Don’t get me wrong. Crawford is the favourite in the fight, but Madrimov is a very, very tough fight. He’s got great movement, he’s a fit, strong guy in his prime, and as I said, he punches very hard and that’s not an easy fight.”
Crawford has shown himself to be a laser-focused operator in his remarkable 16-year pro career. His last eight fights going back more than a decade have all been world title fights and none have ended in a loss. Only three of those opponents have survive until the final bell and very few of them have even been able to win rounds against him.
“My mindset is always, win at all costs,” Crawford said on the Earn Your Leisure podcast. “Make sure I’m coming in at 110% shape and prepared for whatever the opponent brings to the table. Make sure that I’m at the best of my abilities going into a fight so I don’t have to worry about anybody else.
“A lot of people ask me ‘what have you got to do to win a fight’ and I always say ‘just be myself’. I always say that because I obviously feel that I’m Terence Crawford and can’t nobody beat me unless I beat myself.”