Despite the official loss on his record, Serhii Bohachuk may have come out a winner in more ways than one following his fight against Vergil Ortiz Jr. on August 10.

Bohachuk dropped Ortiz twice during the bout, but the decision ultimately went in favor of Ortiz, who claimed the WBC interim 154-pound title with a majority decision. However, Bohachuk's valiant effort did not go unnoticed, particularly by Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority in Saudi Arabia. Alalshikh was so impressed by Bohachuk's performance that he expressed interest in featuring him on a future card, potentially on the undercard of the highly anticipated Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury showdown on December 21 in Saudi Arabia.

"Serhii's star skyrocketed after this fight," said Tom Loeffler, Bohachuk's promoter and founder of 360 Promotions. "It was great that Alalshikh was there in person to see how great of a performance Serhii put on. He even mentioned that he thought Serhii won the fight, or at worst, it should have been a draw. Serhii is ready to go, and it would be fantastic to have him on the same card as his fellow Ukrainian, Oleksandr Usyk, when he faces Tyson Fury."

The junior middleweight division is packed with top-tier talent, and Bohachuk's performance against Ortiz has positioned him as a serious contender. With a win against Brian Mendoza already under his belt this year, Bohachuk is now in the mix with big names like Terence Crawford, Israil Madrimov, Tim Tszyu, and Sebastian Fundora. Loeffler believes that Bohachuk has earned the right to fight any of the division's top fighters, emphasizing that fans can always expect an exciting bout whenever "El Flaco" steps into the ring.

While there is some disappointment over the decision in the Ortiz fight, Loeffler remains proud of Bohachuk's effort and is optimistic about the future.

"There are definitely questions about the judging and refereeing, but we are convinced that Serhii should have kept his title," Loeffler said. "Regardless, it was an incredible performance, and we're looking forward to what comes next. Serhii didn't lose the fight; he only gained more respect and recognition, and we're ready for the next challenge."

Read full results of Bohachuk vs. Ortiz jr. event with video highlights here.

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