THE RESULT: Dominant from start to finish, Israil Madrimov picked up the vacant WBA super-welterweight title with a scintillating performance against Magomed Kurbanov, stopping the Russian in the fifth round. The finish, which was triggered by a huge roundhouse right thrown and landed by Madrimov, came at the two minutes and 20 seconds mark in round five and not a moment too soon. Hurt, and vulnerable against the ropes, Kurbanov was still upright at the time, but destined to soon hit the floor, and Steve Gray, the referee, clearly sensed what was to happen next and swooped in to put an end to proceedings.
KEY MOMENTS: Long before the finish in round five Madrimov was getting busy with his right hand and also his left hook, which landed flush on Kurbanov in the second round. It was in the fifth, however, that he really put his foot down and kicked into another gear, landing a big right hand early in the round, which stunned Kurbanov, before the finish arrived later in the very same round.
RECORDS: Madrimov, 29, moves to 10-0-1 (7), whereas Kurbanov, 28, drops to 25-1 (13).
TALKING POINT: Although the eye-catching shots were the massive left hooks and wild rights Madrimov landed throughout the five rounds he shared with Kurbanov, a special mention must go to the stabbing jabs and crosses he also aimed at the Kurbanov body from round one. These shots, which were carefully selected and intelligently picked, ultimately created openings for Madrimov upstairs and also had a way of tiring Kurbanov and reducing his movement.
QUOTABLE: After the fight a jubilant Madrimov said, “It’s a great feeling. I have waited a long time for this. I have wanted this title since 2018. I am here now and this belt is mine. This belt is coming with me to Uzbekistan. This is my first title and I need all four belts.”
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT: With Madrimov clearly happy and indeed eager to fight pretty much anyone at 154 pounds, it was left to Eddie Hearn, one his promoters, to narrow down the shortlist of future opponents and plan the Uzbek’s future. “This is a massive win for Israel,” Hearn said. “It’s been difficult getting him fights. He’s the new Gennady Golovkin. He walked through Kurbanov with ease. Nothing less than undisputed at 154 pounds is the plan. Terence Crawford, Tim Tszyu, that’s the plan. We’re going to keep him nice and busy and defend this title. He’s coming for all the belts in the division.”