Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez will be the headliner as he looks to become a two-weight world champion in his hometown of San Antonio on Saturday night. But the night will have an Uzbek air to it as well, as unified 122-pound titlist Murodjon Akhmadaliev and junior middleweight Israil Madrimov will be looking to maintain their unbeaten professional records on the card. Akhmadaliev (11-0, 8 KOs) will be defending his IBF and WBA straps against Marlon Tapales of the Philippines, while Madrimov (8-0-1, 6 KOs) will face Raphael Igbokwe.
Two weeks later in Las Vegas, fellow countryman Bektemir Melikuziev (11-1, 9 KOs) will also be in action, as he looks to avenge the one blemish on his record when he takes on Gabriel Rosado on the undercard of the PPV clash between Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia.
The boxers do more than hail from the same part of the world. The trio, along with Kyrgyzstan-born light-heavyweight champion Dmitrii Bivol, form a tightly bonded group of boxing exiles who toured the world together as amateurs and now make their home in Indio, California.
“California is the best place for us,” Akhmadaliev told ProBoxTV News. “The whole team is here. Bek is here, Israil is here, Bivol is here. My friends since childhood, we were living together and training together. We always try to support each other. We always try to pick each other up and give advice to whoever is fighting. I will always try to give any advice I can, and the other guys will always try to help me. Being in California automatically puts you in the regime: eating, sleeping, training; eating, sleeping, training. That’s all we do.”
All three Uzbeks were accomplished amateurs – Melikuziev won silver at the 2016 Olympics (where Akhmadaliev took bronze), while Madrimov took told at the 2018 Asian Games, and as professionals they boast a combined record of 29-1-1 with 23 KOs. On Saturday, Madrimov will be aiming to get back in the win column after having to settle for a technical draw last time out, when opponent Michel Soro suffered a cut from an accidental clash of heads. And on April 22, Melikuziev will be aiming to finally turn the page on one of the biggest upsets of 2021, when veteran Rosado recovered from a first-round knockdown to send "Bek the Bully” face-first to the canvas with a booming right hand in the third.
For Akhmadaliev, however, his professional career has been nothing but success. He featured on HBO in just his fifth fight; three fights later, he edged Daniel Roman in a thrilling contest to annex the since-retired American’s two belts. He now has his sights set on procuring the remaining two belts, which will be contested between holder Stephen Fulton and Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue in July.
“As a professional, as a champion, as a boxer, my goal is to be undisputed and that’s what I’m aiming for,” he said. “That’s the opportunity that I want. So, if the other guys fight, then that’s what I would like next.”
For now, however, his focus is Tapales.
“I’m coming into the ring with one intention, to defend my titles,” he said. “Only the ring can show who’s the better fighter. But honestly, I think I’m just at a different level. All around, I think I’m a better fighter.”
He is also a world champion – a status that lifelong friends Melikuziev and Madrimov hope to acquire before too long.
