Israil Madrimov: The Interview
Since making his professional debut in November 2018, Israil Madrimov has looked destined for greatness.
There’s been considerable buzz around the Uzbek from the beginning, especially amongst those who were familiar with his amateur career which included an impressive haul of silverware and a staggering 350-20 record to boot. As well as winning multiple national championships, Madrimov took gold at the 2018 Asian Games with notable wins over World Championship silver medallists Abilkhan Amankul and Eumir Marcial. He also notched a UD victory over current amateur world champion Gleb Bakshi, and beat Olympic gold medallist Arlen López of Cuba twice in the World Series of Boxing. It’s fair to say that the signs of a special fighter were always there.
But that was in the past. And Israil Madrimov is the future.
Despite only having five fights in the pro game so far, the Uzbek has already proven why he’s considered one of boxing’s brightest prospects and a future pound-for-pound star. With a world title shot looming in early 2021, Madrimov is dreaming big and - as we’ve discussed in our analysis piece - has the talent to back it up. In a Fight-Site exclusive, I had the privilege to interview Madrimov with the assistance of his manager, Aliko Frolov, who kindly translated for us. We discussed a wide range of topics from his beginnings in the sport, how he has adjusted to the pro game and what the future holds. Without keeping you any longer, enjoy!
On when he started boxing:
“Originally I liked football, and wanted to be a football player. But then I went to a boxing gym for the first time when I was 10 years old, in 2005, and enjoyed it a lot. In 2010 I was called up to the national team, and my first major tournament was the 2011 AIBA World Junior Championships in Kazakhstan where I took silver. The experience was very good for my development, and at the time I was learning a lot from my coach Tulkin Kilichev. He was a huge part of my life, and I am thankful for everything he has taught me.”
On Uzbekistan’s emergence as an amateur boxing superpower:
“Uzbekistan’s success is due to a number of things, not one in particular. Firstly, there is a lot of discipline - if you make a mistake, you are out of the team, and it is very difficult to get your place back because it’s so competitive. There are many good fighters at each weight, for me my rival was (Makhmud) Gaipov, so you constantly have to be at your best. But we are all good friends, too, and we support each other. It is a good environment to be part of.
Growing up, there was always a leader in the team - fighters we looked up to. For my generation, it was Elshod Rasulov (a three-time World Championship medallist) and then Hasanboy Dusmatov (2016 Olympic champion at flyweight). Now, it is Bakhodir Jalolov (2019 amateur world champion at heavyweight). They are important because they set the example.
The coaching is very important, too. Some of our coaches, like Marat Kurbanov and Tulkin Kilichev, are amongst the best in the world. They always prepare us for tournaments, and make sure we work very hard to achieve the best results possible. It is tough, but because we are a strong team we enjoy it together, and we benefit from Kurbanov staying as the head coach because he has instilled a philosophy in the team. So I would say that Uzbekistan’s success is a combination of all of these things, it is the complete package.”
On his toughest opponent(s) as an amateur, and who to watch out for in the future:
“Off the top of my head, I would say Abilkhan Amankul and Eumir Marcial. They were difficult fights, but I beat them both in the 2018 Asian Games. Marcial was really fast, and Amankul was skilled. Both very good fighters. (Amankul won silver at the 2017 AIBA World Championships, and Marcial did the same in 2019).
I think Abdumalik Khalakov is the best of the next generation, he has a bright future and is very talented. We are all excited about his development as a fighter and I hope he can make our country proud.”
On staying humble, despite his success and fame, and how he copes with pressure:
“It is easy for me, you know, because I am not special - I am a normal person who works hard to achieve his dreams. I am fortunate to have a very good team around me, and we are always learning, getting better.
Where I grew up (Khiva, a small village), it was a tough place. Very different to America. I was the oldest, so I had responsibilities like collecting wood for our fireplace to keep warm as we had no heating. I remember one time, during the middle of winter when I was only a little boy, it was so cold that I couldn’t sleep and was crying in my bed. We had no electricity and no heating. I prayed to Allah that by his grace, I would work hard to make things better for my family.
All my life, my father has told me to always stay humble and kind. He says Allah has a plan for us all, and I keep those words close to my heart. They always remind me of where I came from.
My faith is very important to me. If I win or lose, it is because Allah intended so. I am confident in my ability because I have worked hard, but having him always with me gives me strength. Religion comes first, and boxing after. And I haven’t achieved my dreams yet, there is still a long way to go.”
It’s worth noting that, just two days after our interview, Madrimov volunteered to help out at a call-centre for COVID-19 in his native Uzbekistan. Gestures like this capture his humility, which came across throughout the interview.
On whether he’d consider competing at the upcoming Olympics:
“I will always represent my country if I am asked, it is an honour. But it is not my priority right now, because I have some important fights coming up in the future. My style is better suited to the professional ranks anyway, compared to someone like Melikuziev (who was supposed to compete at the Olympic qualifiers in Asia). I have learnt many things as an amateur, and I am grateful for those experiences, but it is not my main concern. We will see.”
On his experiences transitioning to the pro’s and moving to California:
“I was fortunate to have some experience in longer bouts when I competed in the World Series of Boxing, where I had seven fights. The transition was easy, to be honest. But one thing I have noticed (since starting to work with trainer Joel Diaz) is that the training sessions are much longer - 20 round drills, that sort of thing. But I trust in my coach, he made me feel welcome and treated me like family from the first day I arrived. We do lots of roadwork, and I always look to stay in shape between fights. I spar against big opponents, light-heavyweights, and feel good in the ring. I am really enjoying training here.
America is very different to home, but I am fortunate to still be with my team. (Bektemir) Melikuziev, (Bakhodir) Jalolov, (Shakhram) Giyasov, (Murodjon) Akhmadaliev and (Elnur) Abduraimov, they are all professional now. It is important that we are together, and we all aspire to be world champions. And we still feel the support from back in Uzbekistan, they are very good to us.”
(Photo provided by Aliko Frolov)
On who he grew up watching, and who his style most resembles:
“I grew up watching Kostya Tszyu, Roy Jones Jr. and Emmanuel Augustus - but my favourite is Golovkin. We are good friends and he has been very important for boxing, showing that you can come to America and be a star. I look up to him a lot, and he beat Canelo twice! (Aliko Frolov, Madrimov’s manager, heartily agrees)
I want my style to be a combination of Golovkin’s pressure, Lomachenko’s footwork and Augustus’ rhythm, because I think that they are the best in those particular aspects. So I have learnt a lot from them, and want to incorporate parts of their game into my own. They are all great fighters.”
On the strengths and weaknesses of his game:
“My outside boxing is one of my main strengths, I am very comfortable at range and have good footwork in order to create angles. Because I like to fight on the outside I am difficult to hit, and I have good balance because of my background in wrestling and judo.
My coaching team, as well as my amateur experience, is also a strength. I am always very confident that Diaz will prepare me for whatever an opponent brings, all I need to do is execute. And because I have had over 300 amateur fights, I have seen many different styles, nothing can catch me by surprise. I am very calm in the ring.
One thing I am always working on is my conditioning, to make sure I am ready for the full 12 rounds. I have not gone the distance yet, but we work hard in training to make sure I will be strong if I do. I have sparred 15 rounds before with little rest, to make sure my body is prepared. It’s not a problem. I am always looking to learn new things, improve my game, and Diaz is a great teacher.”
On choosing to compete at 154 lbs:
“To be honest, I could easily make 147lbs. I walk around at roughly 160-164lbs, so it would not be a difficult cut for me. Some welterweights like Errol Spence are bigger than me, even. But I did not want to compete there, because my priority is winning world titles and I knew that it would be very hard to get a title shot in the division. The way boxing politics is, the best at the weight would have avoided me.
154lbs is much better for me - it is a very open division, the titles change hands a lot but there are many good fighters who I can beat to build my legacy. I want the biggest fights, and I will get them in this division. When some of the welterweights like Spence and Garcia move up as well, they will be more likely to face me if I am champion.”
On who he wants next:
(Photo provided by Aliko Frolov)
“I want Jeison Rosario next, because he holds two of the belts (the WBA and IBF titles). He is a good fighter, and had a strong win against Julian Williams, but I am ready to step up. I want challenges in my career - I wanted to fight for the title in my debut, to make history. We tried to arrange a fight with the WBO champion at the time, (Jaime) Munguía, on the undercard of Bivol-Pascal but he was not interested. I may not have the same number of fights in the pro’s, but I am confident in my team and trust them to guide me.”
(Aliko Frolov added that they will be looking to make the Rosario fight within the next eight months)
On who is the best fighter at 154lbs, and who would be his toughest matchup at the weight:
“In my opinion, the best is (Erislandy) Lara. He is the most skilled, a great technician, and he would be my toughest fight. I respect him as a fighter, and want that fight more than any other in the division because I want to prove myself against the best. He is the mandatory challenger, so I think that fight will happen soon.
There are many other good fighters in the division, too. Rosario, Williams, Charlo, Harrison. I think that Charlo could be difficult because of his size and strength, he is much bigger than me physically and is strong at the weight. I feel confident against any of these fighters though, and it would be exciting for boxing to make these fights happen. But yes, Lara is the best for me.”
On what his plans are in the next five years:
“First I want to win my first world title, and after that I want to unify and become undisputed. There are many exciting fights in this division for me, many good fighters, but I want to prove that I am the best out of them all. Eventually fighters like Errol Spence and Danny Garcia will move up to 154lbs, so I would like to face them as well. If any of the champions at 147lbs want to fight me, no problem, I can cut to welterweight and we can make the fights.
When I have finished with 154lbs, I would like to move up to middleweight, but I am not thinking about this yet. It will take time to grow into 160lbs, physically. I would need to take time to adjust and put on muscle for the weight, because many of the fighters there would be bigger. I want to compete for titles at middleweight, but not for some time. In the future, yes.”
On what he thinks would be his ‘legacy’ fight:
“Canelo. He is a great fighter, and it would be a challenge. That is a fight that I want in the future - testing myself against one of the best in the world. I think me against Canelo at 160lbs would be a very good fight, although he may not be competing in the division by the time I am there. But we will see. I can compete in three divisions - 147lbs, 154lbs and 160lbs - so maybe some new challenges will appear in the future. I do not know. Spence, maybe.”
On how he matches up with Canelo:
“Canelo is a very skilled champion, he has fought many great opponents - Mayweather, Golovkin, Kovalev. I respect him a lot as a fighter, but he is beatable. Mayweather, Lara and Trout, they showed the way how to beat him. Box and move. I think my footwork would cause him problems, frustrate him. (Joel) Diaz would prepare me well, my coaches would come up with a plan and all I need to do is perform. So I think I match up well with him.”
On what motivates him as a fighter:
“When I started boxing, it was about providing for my family and making sure they were looked after. Making my country proud is very important to me, too. But money does not motivate me - what motivates me is making history. I want to fight the best of my generation, and create a legacy. When people back home grow up, they look up to someone like Golovkin and aspire to be like him. In twenty, thirty years I want to inspire people too, and show them that through hard work and perseverance, you can do anything. My goal is to be remembered as a great champion, who fought the best and never shied away from a challenge.”
(Photo provided by Aliko Frolov)
On who he thinks are the best boxers and trainers in the world:
“That is a tough question. (After an extended pause) I would have to say Terence Crawford, he is a complete fighter - can pressure, box, fight out of both stances, and he is very intelligent. Mayweather as well, although he is retired for now. He is very good defensively, hard to hit clean, and very capable technically. Of course Lomachenko, Usyk, Canelo, Golovkin… they are all great fighters too. And many of the boxers from Uzbekistan will prove themselves soon. They will be world champions.
My own coach, Joel Diaz, is the best in the world! I don’t even know other coaches, because I trust in him completely and am very happy in California. He will take me to the top. Kilichev and Kurbanov, the Uzbekistan national team coaches, are great. They deserve a lot of credit for Uzbek boxing being as successful as it is today.”
On whether he would like to box in the UK in the future:
“Of course, British fight fans are some of the best in the world and there is great history there. It would be a privilege to compete in front of their fans and give them an exciting performance to remember. I would love to fight against Liam Smith or Kell Brook in the UK, they are both good opponents for me.”
So there you have it.
My overall impression from the interview was that Israil Madrimov is an exceptionally grounded individual, who is confident in his talent and those around him but maintains a level of humility that will stand him in good stead throughout his career. He was respectful in the way that he spoke about every opponent, acknowledging their talent, and clear in his motivations: building a lasting legacy. We’ve heard this talk before from many fighters, and perhaps it’s my own youthful optimism, but Madrimov feels different. His humble demeanor and intense pride suggests a man who wants to carve his name in the history books, and is willing to take on anyone to make sure that he does so. I can’t wait to watch Madrimov’s career going forward, and hope to see him in London soon.
A big thanks to Madrimov’s managers, Vadim Kornilov & Aliko Frolov, for not only setting up this interview but taking the time to translate for us. Both Vadim and Aliko are not only insightful analysts in the fight game but gentlemen too, and their help is greatly appreciated by me and The Fight Site team. I’d also like to thank Southpaw Boxing News’ Phil Rogers, one of the kindest men in the business, for introducing me to Aliko & Vadim.