Raymond Muratalla has every right to reject an immediate rematch with Andy Cruz. He owns the IBF lightweight title and the official victory. What doesn’t add up is describing the January fight as “clean and comfortably” before moving on to a 37-year-old Robson Conceicao.
“I don’t think it deserves a rematch. I beat him fair, beat him clean and comfortably,” said Muratalla to The Ring.
Muratalla dismissing a rematch with Cruz is classic boxing diplomacy. When a champion barely squeaks past an elite fighter on a contentious card, standard protocol usually means claiming victory, taking the title, and running as far away from that matchup as possible.
Calling the January win “clean and comfortably” is pure bravado. That fight was as razor-close as it gets, and a major chunk of the ringside press and fan base walked away thinking Cruz did more than enough to earn the hand raise or at least a draw. A 118-110 card in favor of Muratalla was wildly wide for a fight that competitive.
The timing of Muratalla shutting the door on a second fight makes complete strategic sense for his camp.
Andy Cruz was already a nightmare assignment in January with limited professional rounds under his belt. Now that Cruz showed off that brutal, seated power in his stoppage of Abraham Montoya on July 18th, he is an even more dangerous proposal.
With the 2020 Olympic gold medalist Cruz teasing a shift to 130 pounds, it gives Muratalla the perfect excuse to close the chapter entirely without looking like he is explicitly running. Cruz says he wants the rematch with Muratalla.
Defending against a veteran like Robson Conceicao lets Muratalla collect his championship checks, keep his belt, and avoid taking the hardest possible fight in the division for a second time.
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Last Updated on 2026/07/31 at 4:00 PM
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