Israil Madrimov gets back to work on October 30 at Humo Arena in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, taking on Seymur Isayev after another lengthy stretch of inactivity. The Uzbekistan Professional Boxing Federation confirmed the booking, per Sports.kz.

This marks just the second ring appearance for the former WBA junior middleweight champion since dropping tough decision losses to Terence Crawford then Vergil Ortiz Jr. Madrimov took care of business against Luis David Salazar back in January. Still, sitting out for nine months right after that win stalled his momentum toward the division belt holders.

Isayev brings a southpaw stance from Azerbaijan into the biggest test of his career. He rides a string of knockout victories, but stepping into Tashkent against an elite operator like Madrimov represents an entirely different level of competition.

Madrimov gets a prime opportunity to showcase his skills in front of his hometown supporters. Whether that victory actually pushes him toward the top contenders at 154 pounds really hinges on his performance plus how fast his team lines up the next assignment.

Madrimov secured world championship status by halting Magomed Kurbanov in 2024. Crawford took the belt later that summer, with the Ortiz defeat arriving in February 2025. Those setbacks came against the absolute best fighters in boxing, so they never completely booted him from title relevance.

Health troubles also disrupted his schedule. He struggled with bronchitis that spiraled into pneumonia around the Ortiz bout, followed by surgeries on his shoulder along with his knee. That ordeal kept him out of action for roughly eleven months before he defeated Salazar.

Nobody has officially explained the reason for the latest delay. We have a confirmed fight date now, though nothing points to another physical setback.

Madrimov wants to turn his earlier victory into real traction. Putting on a clinic against Isayev will help, but another long vacation right afterward keeps him running in place. He needs this hometown showcase to serve as a launchpad. Madrimov is 31 years old with only 14 professional bouts under his belt, so running a once-a-year schedule is boxing suicide for a guy trying to claw back into championship contention.

At 154 pounds, the division moves too fast to sit on the shelf for eight or nine months between tune-ups. When an ex-champion drops back-to-back decision losses to the very top tier, taking almost a year off just to beat Luis David Salazar, and then disappearing for another nine months before fighting an unproven Seymur Isayev, all momentum disappears.

A four-fight schedule would force mandatory activity, keep him sharp, and put him in front of the sanctioning bodies every three months. Even if two of those dates are quick stay-busy showcases against guys he can blast out early, it builds the fight frequency he desperately lacks. Right now, by the time he gets through two prolonged training camps and unexplained layoffs, another year has evaporated, and the younger contenders pass him by.

If he does not start fighting every three to four months, his physical prime will be completely gone before he ever touches another major purse or world title shot.

Ryan Garcia is reportedly in talks for a surprise showdown with boxing legend Floyd Mayweather, and two-division world champion Tim Bradley has offered his thoughts on that potential match-up.

Mayweather retired back in 2017 after securing the 50th win of his undefeated professional career in a lucrative clash against Conor McGregor, but ‘TBE’ has been linked to a comeback and rematch against Manny Pacquiao throughout 2026.

Pacquiao is now possibly featuring on the Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua card in December, so Mayweather has now been linked to a shock clash with Garcia – where a win could see him break Bernard Hopkins’ record as the oldest world champion in history.

Speaking on his YouTube channelBradley reacted to the news, telling Mayweather that he should focus on fighting Pacquiao and ‘leave the younger guys alone’.

“Floyd is damn near 50 years old and he is returning into the ring against freaking Ryan Garcia, man? You better get the hell out of here with that, man. Y’all better stop playing with me.

“Mayweather’s a** is so scared of damn Manny Pacquiao, who is 47 years old, and you going to fight against Ryan Garcia? A damn 20-something year old? Sit your old ass down, man. Your time has come, your time has been done.

“You better get in there with Manny Pacquiao, stealing that damn money the way you did. Yeah, get your a** in there with Manny Pacquiao and leave these young’uns alone.

“I hope this ain’t true, man, for real. This s**t right here has ruined my night, I am not going to lie.”

It remains to be seen how negotiations will develop in the coming days and weeks, but a clash between Garcia and Mayweather could buy Teofimo Lopez some time to fulfil his WBA mandatory and face Jack Catterallin the hopes of teeing up a unification bout against Garcia for 2027.

Following Hamzah Sheeraz’s decision to relinquish his WBO world title rather than face mandatory challenger Janibek Alimkhanuly, a fight has now been agreed for the vacant belt.

Sheeraz made the decision to drop the belt shortly after his promoter, Queensberry Promotions, successfully won the purse bids to stage the mandated defence.

The withdrawal, which came after the Brit expressed grievances over Janibek’s failed doping test last year, forced the WBO to pivot quickly and move down its rankings, and formally instructed Alimkhanuly to face undefeated contender Jacob Bank for the vacant strap.

Today, the sanctioning body’s President, Gustavo Olivieri, released the following statement confirming that both parties have reached an agreement.

“The WBO is pleased to confirm receipt of formal written notification from Team Zhanibek Alimkhanuly and Team Jacob Bank that the parties have reached terms to contest the vacant WBO Super Middleweight World Championship. Further details will be announced in due course.”

Alimkhanuly has long claimed to be one of the sport’s most avoided fighters. The Kazakh southpaw built a fearsome reputation at middleweight, unifying titles with his punishing, heavy-handed style.

Before a highly-anticipated unification with Carlos Adames late last year, he tested positive for the banned substance meldonium. He was stripped by the IBF, but the WBO’s decision to immediately install him as mandatory challenger at super-middleweight infuriated Sheeraz, who branded it ‘corrupt.’

Now standing in the 33-year-old’s way of becoming a two-division champion is undefeated Dane Jacob Bank. The 25-year-old has quietly climbed the WBO rankings to build a flawless 20-0 record, largely operating on the European circuit where he notably stopped previously unbeaten contender William Scull earlier this year.

As for Sheeraz, news on his next bout – understood to be the final in his current contract with Queensberry – is expected soon.