FORMER world champion Israil Madrimov will face unbeaten super-welterweight contender Vergil Ortiz Jr on February 22, featuring on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol 2.
The 29-year-old was supposed to square off against prolific knockout artist Serhii Bohachuk last month before withdrawing from the intriguing contest due to an illness.
His clash with Ortiz, 22-0 (21 KOs), was, rather surprisingly, announced just a few weeks ahead of his scheduled appearance on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury’s rematch in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Naturally, the swift turnaround from the Bohachuk fight raised several eyebrows, with Madrimov, 10-1-1 (7 KOs), looking to face two world-level opponents in the space of just over two months.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, though, the Uzbek pulled out of the first matchup after suffering from acute bronchitis – a severe cold – towards the end of his training camp.
Instead, Bohachuk locked horns with Ishmael Davis on short notice, producing a stunning sixth-round stoppage victory to remind fans of his destructive power.
But still, the cause of Madrimov’s illness has largely been a subject of speculation, with members of Bohachuk’s team, including his trainer Manny Robles, questioning the validity of his withdrawal.
“At the end of [the Bohachuk] camp, I felt sickness – maybe because of the cold weather – and we made a decision with the team that it’s better not to [take the] risk in these conditions,” Madrimov told Boxing News.
In any case, ‘The Dream’ – now seemingly back to full fitness – has been presented with an opportunity to claim a notable scalp against Ortiz, who edged a majority decision in his enthralling battle with Bohachuk last year.
Madrimov, too, comes off a terrific performance, losing his WBA title to four-division world champion Terence Crawford in a fiercely contested 12-round affair.
