Israil Madrimov faced Terence Crawford in the ring last August. The fight took place in Los Angeles, marking Crawford's debut at 154 pounds after his dominant run as the undisputed welterweight champion.
Crawford stepped up to super-welterweight aiming to grab a world title in his fourth weight class. He'd already claimed all the belts at super-lightweight and held a world title at lightweight earlier in his career.
The bout with Madrimov turned out to be closer than many expected. Crawford came out on top with a unanimous decision, snagging the WBA super-welterweight title. Despite going the distance, Madrimov's face showed clear signs of damage by the end.
Recently, Madrimov shared his thoughts on Crawford's punching power with K.O Artist Sports.
"He's a great boxer. He has other tools than power. Power wise he's not the biggest puncher that I've faced, there are guys that hit harder. He has different tools. It's a package. It's hard to say, power wise definitely there are guys that hit harder."
Madrimov's boxing resume includes fights against tough opponents like Magomed Kurbanov and Michel Soro. He's set to step back into the ring this Saturday against Vergil Ortiz, who's known for his heavy hands in the division.
Crawford's next challenge is a big one. He'll move up two weight classes to face Canelo Alvarez at 168 pounds in September. Given Madrimov's assessment, Crawford might need to rely more on his boxing skills than raw power to come out on top.
