Josh Kelly says he wants Turki Alalshikh to know that he’s open to fighting IBF junior middleweight champion Bakhram Murtazaliev next.
Turki’s Opponent Search
He states that he heard Turki was having problems finding an opponent for Bakhram to fight, and he’s willing to step up to face him..Kelly (17-1-1, 9 KOs) insists that he would school the unbeaten Murtazaliev (23-0, 17 KOs).
“I think I’d make him look silly,” said Josh Kelly to the Ring Magazine YouTube channel, discussing what he’d do to IBF 154-lb champion Bakhram Murtazaliev. “I’ve seen him against Jake Culcay, and that was a bad night at the office.”
It would be a big upset if Kelly were to defeat Murtazaliev, as he’s viewed as the boogeyman of the 154-lb division after his third-round knockout of Tim Tszyu last October in Orlando, Florida. If Kelly can get the fight from Turki, that would be the ideal one for him to set himself up for life with a lot of money.
“I’m faster than him. I have a better IQ than him. I’ve got everything to stand him on his head 100%,” said Kelly about Bakhram. “I heard Turki Alalshikh say he can’t find no one to fight Murtazaliev. Get your guy to fight me. I’ll fight Murtazaliev no problem. This Tom and Jerry fighter will go in there and beat Murtazaliev. I’ll stand him on his head. So, let’s make that fight.”
Kelly’s Next Fight Money
That’s a smart move by Kelly to target a fight against Bakhram. If Turki is involved, it will likely pay Kelly a lot more money than what he would get fighting Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis or WBO 154-lb champion Xander Zayas. Those are two of Kelly’s leading options for his next fight.
If he can get a bigger purse fighting IBF champion Murtazaliev next, it makes sense to go in that direction. Kelly’s manager, Adam Booth, has already revealed that Boots Ennis’ promoter, Eddie Hearn, gave him a lowball offer with a 24-hour deadline. The chances of that offer being sweetened are slim. It’s pointless for Kelly to fight Boots unless Hearn wants to open up his piggy bank to pull out $5 million.
Fighting Ennis would be a difficult one for him. Against Zayas, Josh would have to deal with a lot of running and holding. If the fight is held in Puerto Rico, Kelly might need a knockout to get the win over Zayas. For the likely small purse that Kelly would be offered to fight Xander, it wouldn’t be worth it.
“I heard Turki talking, saying he couldn’t find no one to fight him, and he offered three opponents,” said Kelly. “Everyone is scared of [him]. Listen, we put our name in for that, and we’ve not heard nothing back. Put your money where your mouth is, and I’m here. I’ll take Murtazaliev. Put your guy against me. Come on. I’m here. Make the fight. Some of my best performances have been against guys that come forward like that,” said Kelly.
Tom and Jerry Fight
It would be interesting to see how Murtazaliev deals with the skills and movement of Kelly. It would be a Tom and Jerry fight for sure, but it would give fans a glimpse of how Bakhram will deal with fighters like Zayas and Ennis.
Last Updated on 07/29/2025
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