Andy Cruz agrees to face Albert Bell in eliminator others passed on

Bahdi was previously offered the eliminator but chose not to proceed, leaving the position open. Cruz moved forward with negotiations during the IBF-assigned period and committed to the fight, accepting a matchup that presents a different type of problem in the unbeaten Bell.

#3 IBF Bell, a 6-foot lightweight from Toledo, has struggled to secure meaningful opposition despite his unbeaten record. His path at 130 pounds stalled due to a lack of support from the sanctioning bodies, which led to his move up in weight. The IBF’s decision to order a final eliminator at 135 has now placed him directly into a relevant fight.

The 33-year-old Bell has been in the pro ranks for 13 years, but has yet to step it up against a high-level opponent. It’s surprising that he’s been around for so long, but never fought any notable opposition in all that time.

Cruz enters with a clear objective after his January decision loss to Muratalla in Las Vegas, where he was outscored over 12 rounds. A win over Bell would return him to the mandatory position and set up a second opportunity at the title. It’s unclear whether Muratalla will stay at lightweight much longer. He’s huge for the division, and he could be stronger if he moves up.

At the weigh-in for his fight against Cruz, he looked visibly gaunt with sunken cheeks and dark circles under his eyes. If Cruz does get past Bell to face Muratalla again, it’ll be an interesting fight to see the adjustments the 2020 Olympic gold medalist makes.