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WBC interim Junior middleweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. will face a a lot completely different check in his title protection in opposition to the technically expert Israil Madrimov on February twenty second in Riyadh. The battle will happen in 58 days.
The highly effective 26-year-old Ortiz Jr. (22-0, 21 KOs) defeated the power-puncher Serhii Bohachuk by a questionable 12-round majority resolution in his final battle on August tenth. Bohachuk dropped Ortiz Jr. twice within the battle.
Vergil Jr. was out-punched by the extra highly effective Bohachuk all through the battle however eeked out a controversial resolution by getting on his bike for the ultimate 4 rounds to get the victory.
Ortiz Jr. didn’t select to present Bohachuk a rematch to clear up the controversy, which is comprehensible given how a lot punishment he took in that battle. Bohachuk had overwhelmed Vergil at his personal sport, out-slugging him and forcing him to maneuver within the final quarter of the competition.
Vergil Jr. vs. Bohachuk Punch Stats
– Ortiz Jr: 265 of 732 punches for 43%– Bohachuk: 225 of 817 for 36%
Ortiz Jr. wilted below the facility of Bohachuk, took a variety of facial harm, was damage within the later rounds, and was given day trip for glove restore. It appeared that he used that to get better.
It will likely be a special kind of battle in opposition to Madrimov (10-1-1, 7 KOs), which is quicker, extra technical, and equally highly effective as Bohachuk along with his proper hand. Vergil Jr’s greatest probability of profitable this battle is with stress as a result of he doesn’t possess the talents that Madrimov has going for him.
The previous WBA junior middleweight champion Madrimov will probably be extra aggressive than he was in shedding to Terence Crawford, however he received’t use the come-forward stress that Bohachuk was displaying. That’s not his fashion. Nonetheless, Madrimov does possess the facility and timing to harm Ortiz Jr. if he tries to stroll him down like he’s been doing with most of his opponents in his eight-year professional profession.
Grudge Match
Vergil Jr. and Madrimov have completely different views about how their sparring went previously. In an interview with Combat Hub TV, Madrimov, 29, mentioned he didn’t “100%” throughout the sparring and mentioned Vergil Jr. was only a “normal” boxer.
Ortiz Jr. mentioned to Combat Hub TV about Madrimov’s feedback, “He said, ‘He’s a normal boxer, and we went just to play with him.’ To me, that’s throwing shade.”
Madrimov: “There’s nothing actually to say. We had a great sparring. He’s athletic, he’s fast. I used to be serving to him in his preparation for his battle on the time. We exchanged experiences. I don’t know what else to say to you
The previous novice star Madrimov misplaced a detailed 12-round unanimous resolution to Terence Crawford in his final battle on August third in Los Angeles. The scores have been 115-113, 116-112 and 115-113.
Many boxing followers felt afterward that Madrimov had come near beating Crawford and would have received if he’d turned up the warmth within the championship rounds. He made Crawford, 37, look his age in that battle.
