The last big boxing event of the year features a unified heavyweight title fight between the champion Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury. The event, titled Reignited, takes place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on DAZN PPV. On the undercard, junior middleweight contender Serhii Bohachuk (24-2, 23 KOs) will face Ishmael Davis (13-1, 6 KOs), who is a late replacement for Israil Madrimov. A little over a week ago, it was announced that Madrimov came down with an illness and was forced to withdraw from the fight. Although Bohachuk misses the opportunity to fight Madrimov, he still remains on the card of one of boxing’s biggest events of 2024.
Victory in Defeat
This past August, Bohachuk faced top contender Vergil Ortiz Jr. in an absolute war. Bohachuk gave it his all and scored two knockdowns in the fight. Ortiz came roaring back in the second half, but the fight had so many swing rounds that no one really knew for sure how the judges would ultimately see it. Once the scorecards were read (113-113 & 114-112 x 2 for Ortiz), making Ortiz the victor, Bohachuk and his team were understandably upset. They felt that Bohachuk’s performance, plus the two knockdowns, should have been enough to secure the victory.
When asked about that night, Bohachuk smiled and said, “It was a good fight, but I know I won this fight. A lot of fans told me that I won the fight.” After the bout, his promoter, Tom Loeffler, campaigned for a rematch, but Ortiz and Golden Boy decided to fight Madrimov in February instead. When asked if Ortiz would ever fight him again, Bohachuk said, “I don’t think he will want to fight me again. It was a very hard fight for him.”
Although he lost that night, Bohachuk was rewarded with love and admiration from boxing fans. His social media followers increased, and when walking in the streets of Los Angeles, people recognized him and expressed their appreciation for his efforts against Ortiz in August.
From LA To Guadalajara
Normally, Bohachuk trains in LA at his trainer Manny Robles’ gym, which involves a two-hour round-trip commute. Before Madrimov pulled out, Bohachuk was preparing for the toughest fight of his career. To optimize his training, he and Robles went to Guadalajara, Mexico, where Robles is from and where they have the resources for a more intense training camp. Bohachuk describes the area as being “Big Bear high” regarding land elevation, meaning thinner air and a tougher workout. Conveniently, the gym is just 5 minutes away, and the fitness gym is 10 minutes away.
Without his family nearby, Bohachuk took this opportunity to push himself not just 100% but 200%, according to the 29-year-old Ukranian. Although he became a new husband and father this year, his family understands the sacrifices that come with the quest for greatness. “It’s tough, but my family understands. I’ve said this before: I have a short career, so now I have to go 100%. Eat, sleep, train, recover, and that’s it.”
Although Bohachuk has a new opponent for December 21 in Riyadh, he is going into it with the same mindset: to dominate and aim for a big fight in 2025. Will it be the winner of Ortiz Jr. vs. Madrimov or perhaps a Charles Conwell? Who knows, but whoever he fights, fans are now familiar enough with him to expect that he will give it his all in the ring.
Bohachuk does have a message for the rest of the junior middleweight division who will certainly be watching on Saturday night. “Guys, let’s go. Train hard; You might be next!”
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