Terence Crawford knew he was in for a tough fight against Israil Madrimov, but still got the job done in a close fight to become a four-weight world champion.
Crawford (40-0) competed at 154 pounds for the first time in his career, moving up to challenge Madrimov (10-0-1) for the WBA and interim WBO super welterweight titles. The fight card took place at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles and aired live on DAZN pay-per-view. After 12 rounds, Crawford won over all three judges with unanimous scores of 116-112, 115-113 and 115-113.
The showrunners certainly made fight fans wait forever for this fight to begin. An Eminem concert consisting of multiple songs preceded the main event. The fighter ring walks featured all sorts of pyrotechnics and fireworks, setting the stage for a big fight feel.
The bell signaling the start of the first round sounded at 12:55 a.m. ET.
It was a methodical start to the fight as both fighters studied each other’s movements. Crawford, often described as a slow starter, appeared to have trouble finding the rhythm of Madrimov, who offered constant bouncy, jerky movement throughout the entire fight.
As the rounds passed, both fighters would have their moments in spots, but few rounds were clearly for either fighter, making for disagreements on who won each round from the commentary team.
Madrimov, who entered with much less professional experience than Crawford, held his own for most of the fight. The punching stats were nearly identical late into the fight, with Madrimov having a slightly higher landing percentage, but Crawford arguably landed more effectively throughout.
Things really heated up in the final two rounds. Crawford let his hands go as he turned up the pressure on his opponent to close the fight strong, but the game Madrimov still came forward until the final bell.
A Close Fight
Bud Crawford wins by unanimous decision.#RiyadhSeasonCard | #CrawfordVsMadrimov
Live on https://t.co/FoiaUucI53 | @Turki_alalshikh pic.twitter.com/7ee1O6JrJZ
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) August 4, 2024
“Israil was a tough competitor,” Crawford said during his post-fight interview. “I knew he was going to be tough, like I said. I knew all about him when I went to Uzbekistan and they was telling me so much about him. He’s real strong. He’s durable. He took a lot of good shots. He got me to Round 12.
“… I figured it out from the get go, but I was just being patient. I didn’t want to rush in with anything because that’s how I got caught a couple of times, rushing in trying to eat too soon. But I did my thing.”
The Official #CrawfordMadrimov Scorecards pic.twitter.com/Krupw5BKvr
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) August 4, 2024
Crawford has now become a boxing champion in four weight classes: 135, 140, 147, and 154 pounds.
Many believe Crawford is eyeing a showdown with Canelo Alvarez, but he explained that isn’t a fight he necessarily must have on his resume, but one that would be nice to have for his legacy and his bank account.
Madrimov felt he did enough to win the fight, and would like to get a rematch with Crawford in the near future, but only time will tell if that comes to fruition.
