Terence Crawford vs. Israil Madrimov prediction of the fight odds, undercard, preview time and expert pick

Terence Crawford attempts to win a world title at the fourth class in his fight career, when he faces WBA Junior Middleweight Champion Israil Madrimov on Saturday in Los Angeles. Crawford is fighting for the first time at junior middleweight following his win of the world title at lightweight, and then becoming the undisputed champion in junior welterweight as well as the welterweight division.

Brent Brookhouse6-8 mins

 

Although Crawford has been long regarded as being amongst the best fighters in the sport, his latest performance has elevated Crawford to the top two spots on almost every pound-for pound list within the sport. In the match, Crawford dominated Errol Spence Jr. in a long-awaited fight to become the undisputed world champion at welterweight with a ninth-round TKO.

Crawford hasn’t returned to the boxing ring following his July 2023 defeat of Spence. The initial plan was that they would face off for a rematch. However, Spence had cataract surgery and the period was allowed to run out on the contract Rematch Clause.

With Crawford already preparing a increase on weight. He was in a position to concentrate on breaking new territory and get into an encounter with Madrimov.

“I feel great, come Saturday I got a treat for y’all,” Crawford stated this week. “I’m hoping he does whatever he can to get the ball off. But I’ve stated this before and I’ll say it once more, that’s what it’s like in an era of Terence Crawford era and I’m wearing the belt.

“I’m just so competitive that when I think I’ve reached my ceiling, there’s always that extra push to do something that I haven’t done before.”

Madrimov has an impressive amateur history and has won numerous championships. He made the switch to professional in 2018 and has racked up 10-0-1 records with only one negative on his record the technical draw he suffered in a fight against Michel Soro in July 2022 following a head-to-head collision that caused a cut to Soro’s eyes. This Soro bout was reprise of the fight in 2021 that Madrimov was victorious via TKO in a controversial manner following a punch that landed just after the bell triggered the end of the fight.

In his latest fight, Madrimov stopped Magomed Kurbanov in the fifth round, winning his WBA title. This fight was almost not happening due to a pre-fight physical test that identified an issue that required an additional MRI to clear. With Jermell Charlo being declared “champion in recess” by the WBA, Madrimov and Kurbanov were competing for the vacant belt.

While Madrimov is a skilled fighter, and a case could be made to make him the best fighter at weight 154 pounds, Crawford will be an overwhelming favourite to win the win and claim the title.

“I feel great, I’ve waited for this moment for a long time,” Madrimov stated. “My dreams are coming to life. Saturday night I’ll be able to show everyone who loves boxing a thrilling fight.

“I’m only thinking about the victory, and I will show everything that I have inside the ring.”

One of the major stories leading up to the fight actually isn’t about the fight itself because Crawford has been looking for the chance to take on unification the super middleweight champ Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. Despite the difference in weight between the two fighters, a fight between two of the top fighters of their time would be a major fight, and the most lucrative financial possibility as both men move down their professional careers.

Although Alvarez initially dismissed the idea initially, he has begun to warm up to it in the last few months, which means Crawford must avoid making a mistake to avoid the possibility of having the fight on the line.

Saturday’s fights feature one of the most intense undercards, according to boxing standards and of the year. Despite losing a fantastic match with Tim Tszyu and Vergil Ortiz Jr. There’s plenty of action that will be a draw prior to the main fight. Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz looks to defend his WBA junior welterweight title in a fight with Jose Valenzuela in the co-main fight. Former heavyweight king Andy Ruiz returns from a two-year hiatus to take on an opponent known for his blunders outside of the ring, Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller. Also rising American heavyweight contender Jared Anderson gets his toughest challenge to date with Martin Bakole. The the former WBA super middleweight champ David Morrell makes his debut as a light heavyweight, by taking on Radivoje Kalajdzic.

“I feel good man, I feel amazing. I’m blessed to be here and Aug. 3 is going to be an amazing time,” Ruiz stated this week. “I’m more hungry than ever, I want to be a two time heavyweight champion of the world, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do Saturday.”

“I feel great losing 47 pounds and I put in all the work and I’m in shape,” Miller declared. “I feel because I have been out of the ring for so long that losing the weight helped me bring me back to the right technique.”

Let’s take a look at the undercard, including the most recent odds before we get to an opinion and expert selection for what will be the biggest event.

Crawford vs. Madrimov fight card, odds

• Terence Crawford -700 vs. Israil Madrimov (c) +475, WBA junior middleweight title
• Isaac Cruz (c) -450 vs. Jose Valenzuela +330, WBA junior welterweight title
• Andy Ruiz -300 vs. Jarrell Miller +230 Heavyweights
• David Morrell -3000 vs. Radivoje Kalajdzic +400 Heavyweights, light
• Jared Anderson -190 vs. Martin Bakole +155, heavyweights
• Andy Cruz -2000 vs. Antonio Moran +1100, lightweights
• Steven Nelson -1600 vs. Marcos Vazquez Rodriguez +750, super middleweights
• Ziyad Almaayouf -2500 vs. Michal Bulik +950, welterweights

Prediction

Madrimov isn’t just a light move brought in to give Crawford an easy welcome at 154 pounds. In fact, he is probably the top fighter within the division. But, Crawford is one of the top fighters in the world, and is believed to be the winner in this match. In the event that Madrimov is excellent, Crawford is great and it is often the decisive element.

The most interesting thing to watch is if the aging process (Crawford is getting closer to the 37th anniversary of his birth) and the time outside his ring get with Crawford. We’ve seen every boxer in history hit a wall in which age gets to them, and they drop one step, and then suddenly less fighters can keep pace.

It’s unlikely to occur the way it did to Crawford in the Saturday match. However, Madrimov will likely have some success in the first round before Crawford sets his own plan of attack and begins to dominate. Once Crawford begins to roll it’s virtually impossible to stop his momentum. Pick: Terence Crawford via TKO8

Who is the winner Crawford against. Madrimov, and which way of winning props should you back? Go to SportsLine right now to check out Peter Kahn’s top bets for the weekend as well as the boxing expert who has made his followers an average of $4300. Find out.