The official announcement has been made for the highly anticipated showdown between Terence Crawford and Israil Madrimov.
Crawford, the reigning 147-pound champion and widely regarded pound-for-pound king, will be stepping up in weight to challenge Madrimov, the current WBA 154 pound titleholder, on August 3 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. Riyadh Season is presenting the event, marking their inaugural event outside of Saudi Arabia.
“We are thrilled to bring Riyadh Season’s first overseas event to Los Angeles,” stated His Excellency Turki Alalshikh. Additionally, this fight holds special significance to commemorate this moment.”
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment Authority stated, “Our aim is to provide people worldwide with the opportunity to experience their own Riyadh Season. Consequently, we hope to achieve this by hosting this and future events around the globe.”
Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs), a multiple-time world champion at 135, 140, and 147 pounds, aims to capture a major belt in his fourth weight division. The Omaha, Nebraska native’s last outing was a spectacular seventh-round stoppage victory over Errol Spence Jr. in a welterweight title unification bout.
“I am eager to step into the ring in my fourth weight class and demonstrate to the world why I am the top pound-for-pound fighter,” said Crawford. “Israil Madrimov is an impressive and entertaining fighter, but come August 3, he will be my next conquest. The Terence Crawford era continues.”
Madrimov (10-0-1, 7 KOs), hailing from Uzbekistan and based in California, claimed the WBA title by defeating Magomed Kurbanov via fifth-round stoppage on March 8. Furthermore, he looks forward to testing his skills against one of the sport’s elite.
“Terence Crawford is among my favorite boxers and one of the finest in the world,” expressed Madrimov. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to make a statement, and I am confident that I will, God willing.”
The undercard features a lineup of renowned fighters, headlined by the following matchups:
- Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz vs. Jose Valenzuela, competing for Cruz’s WBA title in the junior welterweight division
- Andy Ruiz Jr. vs. Jarrell Miller, heavyweights
- David Morrell vs. Radivoje Kalajdzic, light heavyweights
- Andy Cruz vs. Antonio Moran, lightweights
Cruz (26-2-1, 18 KOs) enters the ring following a remarkable eighth-round knockout victory over Rolando Romero to claim his title. Meanwhile, Ruiz (35-2, 22 KOs) returns to action for the first time since September 2022. Eager to showcase his skills after defeating Luis Ortiz via unanimous decision.
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