With under two weeks remaining until the highly anticipated rematch between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, there has been a significant change in the undercard. ‘The Gypsy King’ is seeking revenge after Usyk dealt him his first professional boxing defeat in May of this year. In a closely contested match, the unbeaten Ukrainian emerged victorious by split decision, claiming the title of undisputed heavyweight champion, a feat not achieved since Lennox Lewis in 1999. The two heavyweight giants are scheduled to face each other again on December 21, ensuring an exciting evening for boxing fans. The event next weekend marks the return of up-and-coming heavyweight Moses Itauma as he prepares for the toughest fight of his career against Demsey McKean, who has only been defeated by Filip Hrgovic. READ MORE: Tommy Fury’s opponent passes away at 37 four months after his last match, with expressions of ‘deep sorrow.’ Also featured on the undercard is unbeaten talent Johnny Fisher, facing off against Dave Allen, and Dennis McCann will compete against Peter McGrail for McCann’s European super bantamweight title. However, despite the impressive lineup, there has been a change to the event with less than two weeks to go before the main event. The co-main event was initially planned to showcase Uzbekistan’s top-ranked fighter Israil Madrimov facing off against Ukraine’s Serhii Bohachuk. Madrimov had to pull out of the fight due to illness, according to reports from the Mirror US. In a statement on X, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh announced that British boxer Ishmael Davis will take Madrimov’s place against Bohachuk, as Madrimov focuses on recovering for his scheduled fight with Vergil Ortiz Jr in February. Doctors confirmed this evening that Israil Madrimov has acute bronchitis and must pull out of the December 21 fight against Bohachuk, according to Alalshikh. Madrimov, with a record of 10-1-1, was looking to recover from his first professional loss in August to Terence Crawford, who dominated the bout and solidified his reputation as one of boxing’s top pound-for-pound fighters.
