The IBF has ordered Caoimhin Agyarko to face Bakhram Murtazaliev in a reshuffled final eliminator at junior middleweight after Brandon Adams was forced out of last weekend’s bout.
The change comes after Adams collapsed in his Las Vegas hotel room on the morning before weigh-in with chest pain and was taken to the hospital, leading to the cancellation of the scheduled main event at The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan. The fight had been set to decide the mandatory challenger for IBF titleholder Josh Kelly, but the withdrawal left the slot open.
The sanctioning body has now moved to keep the process active rather than revisit the same matchup. Murtazaliev, a former titlist known for his power at 154, has already informed the IBF he will take the fight. Agyarko has been given a deadline to accept the order.
That replacement shifts the difficulty of the assignment. Adams brought experience and durability, but Murtazaliev is a different kind of opponent, with a more aggressive style and a track record against higher-level opposition. Taking this fight means a tougher night for Agyarko.
The decision facing Agyarko is simple. Accept the fight and move directly into a high-risk eliminator with a mandatory position on the line, or turn it down and risk losing ground in the IBF rankings. There is no guarantee that a similar opportunity will return in the same form.
Adams was reported to be stable after receiving treatment, and there has been early discussion about revisiting the original matchup once he recovers. The IBF has already moved forward without it, and the next step now depends on Agyarko’s response.
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Last Updated on 2026/04/16 at 3:39 PM
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