The junior middleweight division is one of boxing's deepest and star-studded weight classes.
Champions like Terence Crawford (WBA), Sebastian Fundora (WBC, WBO) and Bakhram Murtazaliev (IBF) headline 154 pounds. The Ring title is currently vacant, but there are a host of contenders like Vergil Ortiz Jr., Israil Madrimov, Charles Conwell, Jesus Ramos, Erickson Lubin, Tim Tszyu, Xander Zayas, Brian Mendoza, and the inactive group led by the likes of Errol Spence Jr., Jermell Charlo, Brian Castano, and Keith Thurman who are looking to climb the ladder.
Serhii Bohachuk (24-2, 23 KOs), currently ranked No. 6 by Ring Magazine, is another junior middleweight who’s looking to breakthrough in 2025 and he’ll get another chance to show his promise Saturday against Ishmael Davis (13-1, 6 KOs) on the undercard of the rematch between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
For Bohachuk, the opportunity lost its luster after Israil Madrimov pulled out of the originally announced fight citing bronchitis and is instead already focused on a separate scheduled contest against Ortiz on February 22.
Unexpected opponent changes have become the story for Bohachuk in 2025.
In March, Bohachuk was supposed to fight Fundora, but Fundora was called on to save a pay-per-view event in Las Vegas after Keith Thurman suffered an injury and couldn't fight Tim Tszyu. Instead, Fundora beat Tszyu in a bloodbath for the titles, and Bohachuk had to settle on beating Mendoza via unanimous decision. Bohachuk leveraged the win for a fight against Ortiz in August but was on the wrong end of a disputable majority decision despite dropping Ortiz twice.
Now that the division’s deck has been reshuffled, Bohachuk is looking for an opportunity to prove he’s the ace of the weight class.
“I'm 100 percent concentrated on this fight, but maybe after I can call out Crawford and Fundora,” Bohachuk told The Ring. “I have a lot of strong and interesting options in my division. After, I can say who's next.”
Bohachuk believes Fundora is the crème de la crème of the class.
“Fundora is the best at 154 pounds in the world right now,” said Bohachuk. “He's the first one because he has two titles in this weight division. I hope I get the fight in 2025. I want it. I'm interested in the best boxers. I think he's the best, really. I know Fundora. He's a very, very special boxer. He's very strong. Three years ago, I had a lot of sparring with him in Big Bear with Abel Sanchez.
“I have big experience with Fundora. He's tall, has long arms, power. He has power. Before I first sparred with him, I saw him and said, 'what is this?' I'll break him now. I pushed him for eight rounds and he didn't stop. He pushed me too. I didn't understand. He was tall, skinny and had a good punch and conditioning. Before the Tszyu fight, I said Fundora will win. They said I was crazy. After the fight, they asked how I knew. I said, 'You don't know Fundora.' He's very strong.”
Bohachuk also explained that he thought Crawford lost to Madrimov during his division debut in August.
“I didn't see good combinations, a good attack, good punches from Crawford,” said Bohachuk. “Madrimov was more active and didn't give any openings. Crawford didn't beat the champion. He didn't win the fight. He didn't show anything. Madrimov was interesting in the fight. I would like to fight Crawford. I want to find out why they say he's the best. I want to know what skills he has.
“Against the best, I can show my best and give a big show. It's a big chance to show my skills.”
Manouk Akopyan is a lead writer for Ring Magazine. Follow him on X and Instagram.