Serhii Bohachuk and Brandon Adams will enjoy a far greater stage for their rematch than was the case for their first meeting more than four years ago.
The pair of junior middleweights are confirmed to run it back, atop the preliminary undercard preceding the September 13 Saul “Canelo” Alvarez-Terence “Bud” Crawford super fight. Bohachuk-Adams II is one of six bouts revealed Tuesday by Dana White, whose Zuffa Boxing will serve as lead promoter for the Netflix event at Allegiant Stadium, home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders—major Crawford boxing news ahead of fight night.
“This a rematch of a badass fight between the two,” White said of the fight during an Instagram Live revealing the full lineup. “Literally, Adams had to win the fight by knockout and he did.”
White’s Zuffa Boxing will present the event along with boxing’s top powerbroker, Turki Alalshikh, along with Canelo Promotions and Crawford’s TBC Fights, LLC.
Adams, 25-4 (16 KOs) won their March 2021 meeting via eighth-round knockout. The Los Angeles, California native trailed on all three scorecards before he floored then-unbeaten Bohachuk in the eighth to force the stoppage.
The bout took place during the pandemic, under strict COVID restrictions without fans in attendance in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.
The two will now get to compete under far brighter lights as part of the biggest event of the year. An estimated crowd of 65,000 is expected for the main event. Even if less than half that total is on hand for the preliminary undercard, it will still dwarf any setting under which Bohachuk and Adams have ever previously appeared during their respective careers.
Despite the big win at the time, Adams was all but punished for upsetting the apple cart. The 36-year-old mid-level contender fought just three times since that night, all of which came in 2024. A four-fight win streak came to an end with his most recent bout, a ten-round split decision defeat to unbeaten Andreas Katzourakis last November 22 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Bohachuk, 26-2 (24 KOs) went on a six-fight win streak following his first career defeat.
The run was capped by a twelve-round, unanimous decision over Brian Mendoza to win the WBC interim 154lbs title last March 30 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The fight marked the first time he’d ever gone the distance as a pro.
Bohachuk was extended all twelve rounds in his very next fight, a heartbreaking majority decision defeat to Vergil Ortiz in their Fight of the Year contender last August 10 at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Vegas. Their 12-round slugfest saw Bohachuk twice floor Ortiz – who’d never gone to the scorecards prior to that evening – only to come up just short in the end.
The 30-year-old Ukrainian – now based in Los Angeles – has since won two straight.
He knocked out Ishmael Davis on a December 21 Riyadh Season card, a consolation prize when former WBA 154lbs titlist Israil Madrimov withdrew due to illness.
Bohachuk then went ten rounds in a unanimous decision victory over Mykal Fox on a UFC Fight Pass card on May 17 in Commerce, California. The show was presented by 360 Promotions, Bohachuk’s promoter whose rising 154lbs contender Callum Walsh faces Fernando Vargas, Jnr in the evening’s co-main event to Alvarez-Crawford.
The other five bouts on the preliminary undercard, which goes live at 5:30 p.m. ET on Netflix’s YouTube channel:
- Ivan Dychko, 15-0 (14 KOs), a 2016 Olympic bronze medalist from Kazakhstan faces Michigan’s Jermaine Franklin, 23-2 (15 KOs) in a 10-round heavyweight bout.
- Fast-rising 130lbs rookie Reito Tsustumi, 2-0 (1 KOs), a Ring Magazine ambassador from Tokyo, Japan, meets Dallas’ Javier Martinez, 7-2 (4 KOs), in a scheduled six-round contest.
- Steven Nelson, 20-1 (16 KOs), a longtime Crawford stablemate from Omaha, Nebraska, takes on Cuba’s Raiko Santana, 12-4 (6 KOs) in a round super middleweight affair. Nelson suffered his lone career defeat to Diego Pacheco earlier this year; Santana owns upset wins over Lorenzo Simpson and Joseph George.
- Sultan Almohamed, a 17-year-old junior welterweight, makes his pro debut in a scheduled four-round bout versus Martin Caraballo, 0-0-1, of Hollywood, Florida.
- Mexico’s Marco Verde, 2-0 (1 KO), a 2024 Olympic silver medalist who is managed by Eddy Reynsoso, will appear in a six-round 168lbs bout against an opponent to be determined. Verde’s pro debut came on the May 3 undercard for Alvarez’s unanimous decision win over William Scull to become two-time undisputed 168lbs champion.
