The fight between Israil Madrimov and Magomed Kurbanov has been canceled due to a medical issue. The fight was set to take place on March 8th at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was part of the undercard for the Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou PPV event.
The cancellation stems from an issue with Madrimov's pre-fight medical scan. Sports reporter Dan Rafael revealed that the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC), the regulator of the event, found a problem during Madrimov's medical evaluation. This was meant to be a significant bout for both fighters, as they were competing for the vacant WBA junior middleweight title.
The WBA 154-lb title became available after Jermell Charlo was stripped due to inactivity. This presented a golden opportunity for Madrimov and Kurbanov to claim a world title.
Israil Madrimov, a 29-year-old fighter from Uzbekistan, has faced setbacks in his career progression due to this and previous inactivities. His last fight before this scheduled bout was in April 2023 against Raphael Igbokwe, following a nine-month break from competition. A quote from an official statement highlighted that "Madrimov has been ruled out due to an issue with a pre-fight medical scan conducted by the BBBofC."
The cancellation has cast a shadow over the Joshua vs. Ngannou event's appeal. Critics believe that without Madrimov vs. Kurbanov, the card quality significantly declines after its first two high-profile fights, marking it as "one of the better fights on a top-heavy card."
This setback is not just a disappointment for fans but also impacts both fighters’ careers, especially Madrimov, who had been hoping to accelerate his journey towards world championship contention.
