Boxing

Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Israil Madrimov Preview: Start Time, Date, Fight Card, How To Watch

Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Israil Madrimov will clash on "The Last Crescendo" for the WBC interim junior middleweight title.

Nathaniel Marrero

IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Rarely does a title fight between two of the best in their division fly under the radar, but that's the case with Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Israil Madrimov.

Ortiz Jr. (22-0, 21 KOs) and Madrimov (10-1-1, 7 KOs) will clash for Ortiz's WBC interim junior middleweight title on Saturday on "The Last Crescendo" in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The winner will be in line to potentially face Sebastian Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs), who is the WBC junior middleweight champion.

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Ortiz Jr. became the WBC interim junior middleweight champion with a majority decision win over Serhii Bohachuk (25-2, 24 KOs) in one of the best fights in 2024. Madrimov was previously the WBA junior middleweight champion but lost it with a close unanimous decision loss to pound-for-pound great Terence Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs).

Junior middleweight has rapidly become one of the best divisions in boxing and the winner will have the inside track to becoming the top guy. Here are the keys to victory for both fighters and how to watch the highly anticipated clash between Ortiz Jr. and Madrimov.

Keys To Victory

Ortiz Jr.'s pressure and ability to dig the body are going to be essential to him getting the win over Madrimov. Madrimov's skillset and movement are the best Ortiz Jr. has faced, and he can't get the fight to take place at the range he likes, the former WBA champion will likely have the inside track toward a victory.

Ortiz Jr.'s best chance will likely be in close quarters and roughing Madrimov up. Going to the body and forcing him to exchange will also help plenty with slowing Madrimov down in the later rounds. Ortiz possesses plenty of power in both hands, and if he can find his way to the target early, it'd bode well for him to get arguably the best win of his career.

Madrimov's athleticism and boxing acumen will have to carry the day for him. He has quicker feet than Ortiz Jr., so using that to keep the WBC interim champion turning and off balance will go a long way toward limiting his power advantage.

Madrimov's jab is his best weapon and he uses it plenty to the head and the body. From there, he uses his awkward angles, leaping hooks and right hand to great success. Establishing the jab and using it to set up his other weapons will be key to Madrimov's chances of giving Ortiz Jr. his first loss as a pro.

Weigh-In Results

Vergil Ortiz vs. Israil Madrimov fight date

Date: February 22, 2025

Vergil Ortiz vs. Israil Madrimov card start time:

Card start time: 11:45 am EST (8:45 am PST)

DAZN projects Vergil Ortiz and Israil Madrimov will walk to the ring at 1:40 pm EST.

How to watch: Vergil Ortiz vs. Israil Madrimov

TV/Stream: DAZN PPV and PPV.com

Vergil Ortiz vs. Israil Madrimov will be available on DAZN PPV and PPV.com.

Vergil Ortiz vs. Israil Madrimov location

Location: anb Arena (Formerly The Venue), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Vergil Ortiz vs. Israil Madrimov will take place at the anb Arena (Formery The Venue) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Note: The venue for this event was changed on February 21st from Kingdom Arena to anb Arena (Formerly The Venue).

Fight Card

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Published |Modified
Nathaniel Marrero
NATHANIEL MARRERO

Nathaniel Marrero is a writer for the Boxing, Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Ravens On SI sites. He's also written for the Orlando Sentinel and MLB.com, and was a part of UCF's sports show, Hitting The Field. He attended UCF and graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism in 2023. Twitter/X: Nate_Marrero