Next month, on December 21st at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, a significant fight is set to unfold. Former WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov will face off against former WBC interim 154-lb champ Serhii Bohachuk in a 12-round battle. This potential fight of the night contender has the chance to steal the show from the main event, as the previous Fury-Usyk clash earlier this year wasn't overly entertaining.

Witness the Risk-Taking Showdown in Riyadh

Madrimov's Recent Loss and Favoritism

Many consider Madrimov (10-1-1, 7 KOs) the favorite to win on December 21st. His recent narrow 12-round unanimous decision loss to Terence Crawford on August 3rd in Los Angeles is fresh in everyone's minds. The scores were 115-113, 116-112, and 115-113. Despite having size, power, youth, and experience advantages at 154 over Crawford, Madrimov didn't show enough aggression in the championship rounds from nine through twelve. This has left some fans disappointed.However, Madrimov still carries himself like a champion and believes he won the fight. He is rated behind Crawford as the best in the division by some.

Bohachuk's Setback and Determination

Bohachuk (24-2, 23 KOs) also has a recent loss to his name. He lost to Vergil Ortiz Jr. by a 12-round majority decision on August 10th in Las Vegas with scores of 113-113, 114-112, and 114-112. This setback hasn't deterred him, and he is now ready to take on another big fight.As Algieri mentioned, "Both of them have to battle back, especially for Bohachuk. 'I have to go after this now, or I have to hang it up.'" Bohachuk is determined to make a mark in this division.

The Risk and Reward of the Fight

Taking a big risk by jumping right back into another big fight is what these guys are doing. As Chris Algieri said to Probox TV, "These guys are taking a big risk by jumping right back into another big fight." But considering the bleak alternative they'd face, it's not that big of a risk.If they weren't willing to take this risky match, it could take a long time for them to get another big fight. They need to beat solid contenders like Erickson Lubin, Charles Conwell, and Tim Tszyu to position themselves for a title shot.Without the money they are getting, they might have chosen to play it safe against a weaker opponent. But the Fury-Usyk 2 undercard is poor, and this fight adds some excitement."I like the shift that we're seeing that you don't have to have an O to be on one of these big cards," said Algieri. This fight shows that even without a big name, these fighters can make an impact.