A late-notice world title fight between Israil Madrimov and Magomed Kurbanov is reportedly set to feature on the Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou bill on March 8.
The belt is currently in Jermell Charlo’s possession but isn’t expected to be for much longer.
Charlo has already been forced to relinquish the WBC, IBF and WBO belts and will be stripped of his WBA title once the bell rings for Madrimov vs Kurbanov.
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According to esteemed boxing journalist Jake Donovan, the bout is pending final approval from Saudi Arabia before it is officially added to Joshua and Ngannou’s undercard.
Madrimov and Kurbanov agreed to box each other months ago although the bout has been delayed for reasons out of their control.
Madrimov (8-0-1), a decorated Uzbeki amateur boxer who won gold medals at the 2017 Asian Championships and 2018 Asian Games, is ranked No1 by the WBA at 154lb.
In December 2021, he was elevated to the top of the major sanctioning body’s world rankings after stopping former world title challenger Michel Soro in the ninth round.
However, the result was marred by controversy as Madrimov’s finishing onslaught continued after the bell.
As a result, a rematch was called seven months later but an unintentional clash of heads in the third round led to the fight being declared a technical draw.
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Madrimov has been sitting in limbo ever since.
Like Madrimov, Kubranov (24-0) also comes from an impressive amateur pedigree having won gold at the 2008 World Youth Championships.
He is currently ranked No 2 by the WBA and holds notable wins over Liam Smith and Patrick Teixeira in the paid ranks.
Fights that have already been confirmed for Joshua and Ngannou’s undercard are Zhilei Zhang vs Joseph Parke, Rey Vargas vs Nick Ball, Mark Chamberlain vs Gavin Gwynne and Andrii Novytskyi vs Juan Torres.
Meanwhile, Justis Huni, Ziyad Almaayouf, Roman Fury and Jack McGann are also expected to feature.
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Joshua and Ngannou’s crossover clash will be broadcast worldwide by DAZN PPV and is also available in the UK on Sky Sports Box Office.
The unique broadcasting deal that sees two of boxing’s biggest broadcasters share the television rights was spearheaded by Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, in a bid to get as many eyes on the event as possible.
