Turki Alalshikh's enthusiasm for heavyweight boxing has filled a significant gap in his first U.S. event. Jared Anderson and Martin Bakole will square off in a highly anticipated heavyweight bout on the undercard of the Israil Madrimov-Terence Crawford event in Los Angeles on August 3. Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, confirmed the matchup along with the finalized fight card on Tuesday.
This development follows the unfortunate news that Tim Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs) could not be medically cleared to face Vergil Ortiz Jr. (21-0, 21 KOs), leaving a void in the lineup. Anderson (17-0, 15 KOs) was already considered a potential addition to the card, initially being eyed for a fight against former WBC champion Deontay Wilder. However, those plans fell through when Wilder was knocked out by Zhilei Zhang on June 1 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Anderson's search for an opponent was short-lived. Bakole (20-1, 15 KOs), eager for a top-tier challenge, emerged as the ideal contender. The Scotland-based Congolese fighter has been on a nine-fight winning streak, including a notable victory over the previously unbeaten Tony Yoka in May 2022. Bakole's latest win came with a knockout of Carlos Takam last October during the inaugural Riyadh Season event headlined by Tyson Fury's narrow victory over Francis Ngannou.
Anderson, a rising star in the heavyweight division, started his professional career with a remarkable fourteen-fight knockout streak. The 24-year-old has shown his stamina by going the distance in two of his last three fights, most recently outpointing Ryad Merhy over ten rounds in April in Corpus Christi, Texas.
The rest of the card remains strong:
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Israil Madrimov (10-0-1, 7 KOs), ranked No. 3 at 154 pounds, will defend his WBA title against Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs), who is moving up in weight. The event will also feature a special performance by legendary hip-hop artist Eminem, who last accompanied Crawford to the ring during his ninth-round knockout of Errol Spence Jr. in July 2023.
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Isaac 'Pitbull' Cruz (26-2-1, 18 KOs) will defend his WBA 140-pound title against Jose Valenzuela (13-2, 9 KOs) in a 12-round bout.
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Former heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz (35-2, 22 KOs) will face Jarrell Miller (26-1-1, 22 KOs) in a heavyweight contest, with the number of rounds to be determined.
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Rising star Andy Cruz (3-0, 1 KO) will take on Antonio Moran (30-6-1, 21 KOs) in a 10-round junior welterweight bout.
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David Morrell (10-0, 9 KOs) will compete against Radivoje Kalajdzic (29-2, 21 KOs) for the vacant interim WBA light heavyweight title in a 12-round fight.
This event marks the U.S. debut for the Riyadh Season group, which has made significant investments in boxing over the past year. Alalshikh, a passionate fan of the heavyweight division, has produced several high-profile cards since the group's involvement began last fall.