Junior middleweight contender Serhii Bohachuk anticipates Saturday being a seismic celebratory day in his war-torn country, Ukraine.
Bohachuk (24-2, 23 KOs) will take on Ishmael Davis (13-1, 6 KOs) on the undercard of the rematch between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“It's special because a lot of Ukrainian fans will come to the fight to support me and Usyk,” Bohachuk told The Ring. “The people of Ukraine and the people of the world will watch this fight. I can show the entire world my style and boxing. It's a big chance for me. I'm excited and very happy to be a part of the show.
“Usyk will win this fight. I have two options. Fury could be ready, and Usyk will win by points. If Fury is not ready for the fight, Usyk will knock him out. That's it. Fury showed everything in the first fight. He had good punches. Usyk is a special person and a special boxer. He's fast, smart, has good moves, conditioning, and strategy. Fury, nothing makes him.”
Bohachuk, a 29-year-old from Vinnytsia, who, like Usyk, has joined Ukrainian territorial defenses in recent years, was originally supposed to face Israil Madrimov but Madrimov pulled out of the fight citing bronchitis and is already set to challenge former Bohachuk-conquer Vergil Ortiz Jr. on February 22.
The power-punching Bohachuk dropped Ortiz twice in August yet suffered a majority decision loss in a brutal fight of the year contender. But Bohachuk proved to be a winner even in defeat because Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority in Saudi Arabia, was ringside that summer night in Las Vegas watching the fight.
“I feel that I won the fight against Vergil Ortiz,” said Bohachuk. “I knocked him down twice. I don't know why they gave him the decision. And this is just not my opinion. A lot of people are saying that I won the fight. Vergil's fans tell me they are my fans now, and that I am better. People said Ortiz is a big puncher, but I didn't feel this in the fight. I didn't feel any hard punches. He was a good boxer and not a bad puncher. It was good to get 12 good rounds of experience.”
Bohachuk is currently ranked No. 6 by Ring Magazine at 154 pounds.
Should Bohachuk star in his showcase fight against Davis, even more significant fights should be in his future in 2025.
Manouk Akopyan is a lead writer for Ring Magazine. Follow him on X and Instagram.