Israil Madrimov and boxing’s rising forces from Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan is poised for a rich period in its boxing history, with junior middleweight titleholder Israil Madrimov making the first defense of his belt against pound-for-pound star Terence Crawford and several Uzbek boxers going for gold at the Paris Olympics.

Although Uzbekistan – a Central Asian nation and former Soviet republic that shares a border with Afghanistan, its neighbor to the south – might seem obscure to some, it has been steadily producing boxing medalists and titleholders for years now. In the Rio 2016 Olympics, Uzbekistan claimed three boxing gold medals, marking a significant breakthrough for the country. The Uzbeks first participated in the Summer Olympics in the 1996 Atlanta Games, when light middleweight Karim Tulaganov became the first boxer to medal for his nation, claiming bronze after losing to David Reid in the semifinals. Four years later, light welterweight Mahammatkodir Abdoollayev won a gold medal in Sydney.

Rio 2016 marked the rise of Uzbekistan as a new boxing powerhouse, with Hasanboy Dusmatov (light flyweight), Shakhobidin Zoirov (flyweight) and Fazliddin Gaibnazarov (light welterweight) all taking their places atop the podium. Additionally, Shakhram Giyasov and Bektemir Melikuziev won silver medals, while Rustam Tulaganov and Murodjon Akhmadaliev earned bronze.

However, many of these fighters have struggled to make a significant impact in professional boxing. Giyasov fought Wednesday in Los Angeles – in a prelim bout after media workouts to promote Saturday’s Crawford-Madrimov card. Gaibnazarov lost to Mykal Fox in 2019 and has not been seen on U.S. television since. In 2021, Melikuziev suffered a brutal knockout at the gnarled hands of Gabriel Rosado (before exacting his revenge last April). Akhmadaliev has enjoyed more success, but his junior featherweight title run was cut short by Marlon Tapales in 2023, costing him a chance to fight Naoya Inoue.

Even the relatively decorated Madrimov has faced setbacks. He turned pro by stopping Vladimir Hernandez in a 10-round fight, a rare debut scenario against a high-level opponent. However, the pandemic halted his momentum. Madrimov fought five times in a 15-month period to start his career but has since made just six appearances in three years.

Two fights with Michel Soro slowed his progress, too. Madrimov scored a stoppage against France’s Soro in 2021, in Uzbekistan, but punches landed after the bell, and the ensuing controversy prompted a rematch. The TKO still stands, but the bout was run back almost eight months later as a WBA junior middleweight eliminator. The sequel ended in a technical draw due to a clash of heads. Madrimov was expected to fight Soro again, but Magomed Kurbanov beat him to it, setting up a vacant WBA junior middleweight title fight. Madrimov won impressively by stopping Kurbanov in the fifth round – but one could argue that it cost Madrimov more than two years of upward progress and prime earning power.

Uzbekistan’s boxing success at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics was limited to Bakhodir Jalolov’s gold medal at super heavyweight. But this year, as of Friday evening, four of 11 Uzbek Olympic boxers remain in the hunt – all of them at this stage guaranteed at least a bronze medal – at the same time that Madrimov’s career is entering the stratosphere.

This two-week stretch could be the most important to date in Uzbekistan’s boxing history, with its fighters competing at the highest levels in both the amateur and professional ranks.

Two-time heavyweight titleholder Ruslan Chagaev is arguably the nation’s best-known fighter. Artur Grigorian, a longtime lightweight belt holder who was active in the 1990s and 2000s, is another of Uzbekistan’s finest. But the nation still awaits its first true breakout star. One of the competitors still in the mix in Paris, and perhaps several, have a chance to develop into that fighter – unless, of course, Madrimov beats them to it with a world-beating upset of Crawford on Saturday.

Lucas Ketelle is a proud member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and author of “Inside The Ropes of Boxing” (available on Amazon). Contact him on X @LukieBoxing.