Eddie Hearn has claimed that newly crowned WBA light middleweight champion Israil Madrimov is the 'new Gennadiy Golovkin' after a fifth round stoppage win over Magomed Kurbanov.
The two fighters met for the vacant title on the undercard of Anthony Joshua's clash with Francis Ngannou on DAZN PPV in what was set to be an exciting matchup.
Madrimov however dominated throughout and after following up a right hand in round five with some devastating combinations, the referee was forced to intervene and stop the fight.
Amidst the celebrations inside the ring, Hearn could not help but praise his fighter who he believes can dominate at 154lbs.
"This is a massive win for Israil, for Matchroom, for DAZN," Hearn told DAZN's Ade Oladipo.
"It’s been a long time and difficult to get him the fights. This guy is an animal, Uzbek power.
"People talk about him being a young Gennadiy Golovkin, he is the new Gennadiy Golovkin.
"He walked through Kurbanov with ease, and nothing less than undisputed at 154lbs is the plan."
Live on DAZN PPV: Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou on March 8. Click here for details and how to purchase.