Terence Crawford secured his fourth world title across different weight classes by defeating Israil Madrimov to claim the WBA light-middleweight title in Los Angeles.
The 36-year-old American extended his unbeaten record to 41 fights with a unanimous decision victory at the BMO Stadium.
Crawford, a former lightweight world champion and undisputed champion at light-welterweight and welterweight, triumphed with scores of 116-112, 115-113, and 115-113 on the judges’ scorecards.
This defeat marked the first loss in the 11-bout career of 29-year-old Uzbek fighter Madrimov.
Reflecting on the fight, Crawford praised Madrimov, noting his strength, durability, and speed. “Israil was a tough competitor,” Crawford said. “He’s real strong.
“He’s durable. He took a lot of good shots and got me to round 12. He had fast speed, a good rhythm upstairs, and was very disciplined. He fought a good fight. I was being patient and didn’t want to rush in. That’s how I got caught a couple of times – I tried to eat too soon.”
Crawford’s victory has sparked speculation about a potential matchup with Mexico’s super-middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez.
“If the money is right, we’ve got to fight,” said Crawford.