Riyadh Season to host first USA fight card in Los Angeles

Riyadh season will stage the first boxing event outside of Saudi Arabia on Saturday, August 3rd, at BMO stadium in Los Angeles.

Terence Crawford (40-0 31 KOs) is a two-division undisputed champion. A feat only accomplished by two other boxers, Naoya Inoue and Oleksandr Usyk. Crawford is moving up to light-middleweight to face Israil Madrimov (10-0-1 7 KOs) of Khiva, Uzbekistan, for the WBA and WBO interim world super-welterweight titles.

Crawford, of Omaha, Nebraska, is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, and is aiming to become a four-weight world champion, having previously held titles at lightweight, super-lightweight, and welterweight. 

Madrimov, 29, is a decorated amateur fighter with almost one hundred fights. He turned professional in 2018 and defeated Magomed Kurbanov for the vacant WBA title in Riyadh in March. 

The historic Event will occur in Los Angeles on August 3rd, 2024. Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, which has invigorated the sport over the last two years has made this event his first stateside. 

The fight card is one of the most significant recent shows in the USA. Unbeaten American heavyweight Jared Anderson (17-0 15 KOs) steps up in competition to face Martin Bakole (20-1 15 KOs) of Kananga Democratic Republic of the Congo. There is also a WBA super lightweight fight between the champion Isaac “pitbull” Cruz (26-2-1 18 KOs) and Jose Valenzuela (13-2 9 KOs). 

On the undercard, Andy Ruiz (35-2-22 KOs), former IBF, WBA and WBO World heavyweight champion faces “Big Baby” Jarell Miller (26-1-1 22 KOs). The Vacant WBA regular light heavyweight will be on the line when David Morrell collides with Radivoje Kalajdzic (29-2 21 KOs), and lightweight amateur sensation Andy Cruz (4-0 1 KOs) faces Antonio Moran (30-6-1 21 KOs) for the IBF International Lightweight title.  

Fifteen-time Grammy-winning rap icon Eminem will be making a special guest performance. Eminem accompanied Terence Crawford for his ring walk in his last fight in July 2023 against Errol Spence Jr for the undisputed Welterweight title.