Both Murtazaliev and Adams have accepted their positions in writing, and negotiations are expected to begin, Rafael reported. The winner would move into the mandatory challenger position for current IBF junior middleweight champion Josh Kelly.
The reshuffle follows the collapse of the earlier eliminator involving Agyarko and Adams. The two were due to meet on April 11 before Adams withdrew the day before the fight after suffering chest pains and being taken to the hospital.
That left the IBF needing a new route to establish its next challenger. The sanctioning body then turned to Agyarko against former titleholder Murtazaliev, but with no confirmed acceptance, it has now advanced to the next available pairing.
For Agyarko, it is a setback in a crowded division where title opportunities can disappear quickly. Whether the issue was a rejected fight, a missed deadline or a different career plan, the practical outcome is the same. The IBF has moved on without him.
The order offers Murtzaliev a direct chance to fight his way back into contention after losing the belt. Adams, meanwhile, receives another opening after his April withdrawal ended one eliminator before the first bell.
It’s a tough matchup for Brandon Adams. While his 99-91, 98-92 win against Serhii Bohachuk last September proved he can still defeat a high-level volume puncher, Bakhram Murtazaliev is a much more physically imposing puzzle to solve.
Murtazaliev is a heavy-handed stalker, a fighter who thrives in the phone booth style. Adams usually relies on outworking guys in that pocket, but Bakhram has the Russian strength and the leverage to make that a nightmare.
Kelly played it safe, using that stall offense to peck and move, barely scraping by with a majority decision (115-111, 114-113, 113-113) that many felt could have easily gone the other way. Murtazaliev’s team even petitioned the IBF for a rematch based on a questionable 10-10 score in the 12th round.
It’s hard to blame Caoimhin Agyarko for looking elsewhere. He has navigated the domestic level decently, but he was dropped in his win over Ishmael Davis last September and struggled at times against Ryan Kelly.
Moving from Troy Williamson and Ishmael Davis directly to Murtazaliev is a massive leap in class. Agyarko simply hasn’t shown the world-class power needed to keep a bulldozer like Bakhram off him for 12 rounds.
Adams is 36 and coming off a health scare, fainting before the original weigh-in with Agyarko earlier this month, which adds another layer of risk to this matchup. If he enters the ring against a puncher of Murtazaliev’s caliber without being 100% physically, it could be a short night.
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