Former WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov has disclosed that he entered his February fight with Vergil Ortiz Jr. while suffering from bronchitis that developed into pneumonia, causing lung damage that affected both his training and in-ring stamina.
Now 10-2-1 (7 KOs), the 30-year-old Uzbek returns Saturday night in Las Vegas after the longest layoff of his career, facing Luis David Salazar in a DAZN-streamed co-main event. The bout supports the IBF lightweight title defense between Raymond Muratalla and Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz.
Madrimov explained that training through illness only worsened his condition. He struggled with fatigue by the fifth round against Ortiz and later sought treatment across multiple countries, including Germany and India. In addition to lung damage, he is still recovering from shoulder and knee surgeries stemming from injuries suffered around his bouts with Terence Crawford and Ortiz.
Despite the setbacks, Madrimov insists he feels “night and day” better compared to his last fight and views Saturday as a test to gauge his readiness at the elite level. Still ranked among the top 10 by three sanctioning bodies, he hopes a strong performance can position him for another title opportunity.
Looking ahead, Madrimov named potential future targets such as IBF champion Bakhram Murtazaliev and WBC titleholder Sebastian Fundora. But for now, his focus is on proving his body has recovered and that he remains capable of competing with the best in the 154-pound division.
Image Credit: DAZN