Terence Crawford next fight: Madrimov bout confirmed as unification roadmap emerges
Associated PressTerence Crawford will have the chance to become a four-weight champion when he takes on WBA super-welterweight champion Israil Madrimov during his next fight in Los Angeles this summer.
Crawford has not returned to the boxing ring since his victory over Errol Spence Jr in July last year. The 36-year-old ascended to superstar status after the fight and is now looking to add yet another title to his collection.
Here is all you need to know about Crawford’s upcoming fight against Madrimov and why Sebastian Fundora’s bout against Spence Jr can pave the way to ‘Bud’ becoming a three-weight undisputed champion.
Contents
- Who is Terence Crawford fighting next?
- Crawford’s route to be another undisputed champion
- When was Terence Crawford’s last fight?
- Turki Alalshikh wants Alvarez vs Crawford
- Terence Crawford boxing record
Who is Terence Crawford fighting next?
Crawford will be taking on Israil Madrimov on August 3 as he looks to become a four-weight champion, moving up to 154 pounds.
“I cannot wait to get back in the ring in my fourth weight class and remind the world why I’m the best pound for pound fighter in the world,” Crawford said.
“Israil Madrimov is a tremendous and entertaining fighter, but on August 3, he will be my next victim. This is the Terence Crawford era.”
Madrimov, who beat Magomed Kurbanov for the vacant WBA super-welterweight title last March, has 10 wins and one draw to his name.
“Terence Crawford is one of my favorite boxers and one of the best boxers in the world,” he said. “I am very excited to get this opportunity to make a statement, and I will.”
Crawford’s route to be another undisputed champion
Sebastian Fundora looked set to fight Crawford to defend his WBO and WBC super-welterweight titles when ‘Bud’ stepped up to 154 pounds for the first time.
However, it is now understood that Fundora will be stripped of his WBO belt for snubbing a fight with Crawford in favor of a lucrative bout against Spence Jr.
Should Fundora get the win, and Crawford beat Madrimov, it would set up a mouthwatering unification fight between the pair.
Fundora is thinking long-term and hoping that Spence’s recent injury struggles and lack of time in the ring can see him take advantage when the pair meet in October.
By side-stepping an immediate fight with Crawford, Fundora could be set for two huge payouts and the belts to match, rather than rolling the dice on a showdown with Crawford straight away.
Yet if ‘Bud’ gets the job done against Madrimov and then Fundora, that would just leave Bakhram Murtazaliev (IBF) in Crawford’s way to become a three-weight undisputed champion after just three fights in the division.
Terence Crawford’s last fight
Crawford’s last fight was his victory over Errol Spence Jr in July, 2023.
The win saw him become the first undisputed welterweight champion of the four-belt era. Crawford knocked Spence down three times prior to the stoppage in the ninth round in what was a boxing masterclass from the 36-year-old.
Spence initially activated his rematch clause, but cataract surgery at the start of 2024 scuppered plans of a second fight between the pair.
Turki Alalshikh wants Alvarez vs Crawford
Turki Alalshikh, president of the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia – the man who holds the largest purse strings in boxing – wants Terence Crawford to fight Canelo Alvarez.
“I am working on Canelo and Crawford, I want this fight,” he told the MMA Hour. “We are thinking to do it in America.
“We want it huge, in the biggest stadium and a big PPV. We want to do it at the end of the year or at the beginning of [next] year.
“I hope nobody stands in our way from doing something like this – the promoters or the belts. In the end, if we want it we will do it.”
Terence Crawford boxing record
Crawford’s boxing record stands at 40-0: 40 wins, zero losses and 31 knockouts.
Crawford, who has now fought in 18 consecutive championship bouts, is rated as the third best pound for pound boxer by The Ring, only behind Oleksandr Usyk and Naoya Inoue.
For all the biggest results and upcoming fights this year, check out Dexerto’s 2024 boxing schedule.