Israil Madrimov didn’t look like the same formidable fighter who gave Terence Crawford the toughest test of his career when we last watched him box.

The former WBA 154-pound champion appeared lethargic, like he couldn’t let his hands go, on February 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Vergil Ortiz is one of the most ferocious fighters in their division, someone Madrimov admitted would’ve given him considerable difficulty even on his best night. 

That said, Madrimov felt far worse than he looked during a 12-round bout Ortiz won by unanimous decision on the undercard of the Dmitry Bivol-Artur Beterbiev light heavyweight championship rematch at ANB Arena.

“I didn’t look the same because I wasn’t the same,” Madrimov told The Ring in advance of his return Saturday night from an 11-month layoff. “Part of me was missing in the ring, unfortunately for me. I doubted myself in some ways because it was so difficult through the training camp. Some things that I wanted to show, what I showed in the Crawford fight and other fights, my body just couldn’t deliver it. 

“I just couldn’t do the things that I wanted and that I planned to do. Of course, Vergil is a top fighter and it’s a hard fight for anyone anyways. But when you’re also having something else coming in, like my health issues, it makes things much more complicated.”

Members of Madrimov’s team wanted him to pull out of the fight. 

Respiratory bronchitis had spread to his lungs, which led to pneumonia. The condition limited Madrimov to three or four rounds of sparring most days and he wasn’t in the same state mentally or physically as he was when he lost a unanimous decision in a very competitive fight with the undefeated Crawford in August 2024.

Extremely fatigued, Madrimov wouldn’t withdraw against Ortiz because he had already pulled out of another high-stakes junior middleweight match against Ukraine’s Serhii Bohachuk, which was scheduled as part of the Oleksandr Usyk-Tyson Fury II undercard in December 2024. 

“I was not thinking about pulling out,” Madrimov said. “And I know His Excellency [Turki Alalshikh] had given me an opportunity. Riyadh Season and Sela provided an opportunity for me, and I [would've] felt bad pulling out of a fight for the second time in a row because of health issues. 

“I didn’t really think about it. The team, when they saw my performance was just going down, the team started demanding at some point to pull out of the fight. But I told them I would be all right, the fight is gonna be all right.”

Madrimov’s handlers made him undergo additional medical exams, including an MRI, before they allowed him to go through with the Ortiz fight. He was cleared to box, but obviously not in the clear. Ortiz (24-0, 22 KOs) beat him on all three scorecards – 117-111, 115-113, 115-113 – and saddled Madrimov with a second straight defeat.

Madrimov, who is from Uzbekistan, subsequently endured surgeries to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder and a torn meniscus in his left knee. Fully recovered, the 30-year-old feels much healthier. A devout Muslim, he wants to get in some rounds before Ramadan begins February 17.

Madrimov (10-2-1, 7 KOs), The Ring’s No. 3 contender at 154, will meet the Dominican Republic’s David Salazar (20-1, 7 KOs) on the Raymond Muratalla-Andy Cruz undercard at Fontainebleau Las Vegas. DAZN will stream their 10-rounder as part of coverage scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET.

“I just wanna get back in the ring,” Madrimov said. “I wanna see what I’m still capable of and see what my body still can do and see how much better I got since all the sickness and the injuries. I just wanna prove to everyone that I still can do a lot in the ring.

“This is the first step just to get back in and just to test myself, to see how my body reacts. In training, it’s been responding very well, compared to what it was. And I’m just hoping I can showcase my skills for the boxing fans and prove that I still belong at the top.”

If all goes well, Madrimov wants to face a top opponent in the summer.

“You can track my record – I was always aiming for the toughest fighters,” Madrimov said. “I was always fighting the best guys. Vergil, Terence Crawford. I never shied away from anyone, so my goal remains the same – the best guys, the biggest names, the champions.”