IBF junior middleweight champion Bakhram Murtazaliev says he’s got “wonderful news” coming in for his next fight. Judging by the enthusiasm for the undefeated Murtazaliev (23-0, 17 KOs), it’s a significant fight.
Fans hope the good news for Bakhram is unification against Terence Crawford or Sebastian Fundora, but it’s unlikely. It’s safe to assume that those two 154-lb champions want nothing to do with fighting Murtazaliev next or ever. He’s too dangerous for either of them.
Logical options for Murtazaliev’s next fight:
– Erickson Lubin
– Josh Kelly
– Serhii Bohachuk
– Charles Conwell
Murtazaliev said he would be willing to move up to 160 for an interesting fight if he can’t get a unification match at 154. The middleweight division is pretty empty right now, and he has few options.
Fight Announcement Coming
Crawford is focused on fighting Canelo Alvarez for a giant payday at 168. Even if he weren’t, he wouldn’t want anything to do with Murtazaliev after what he did to former WBO champion Tim Tszyu. He destroyed him in three rounds on October 19th in a four-knockdown victory in Orlando, Florida.
That win was by far the biggest one of Murtazaliev’s career, as he’s been ignored and avoided by the other champions and top contenders. Former undisputed 1540-lb champion Jermell Charlo never wanted to fight him, and for good reason. He would have ended up in the same shoes as Tszyu.
Surprisingly, Murtazaliev, 32, was not included on Turki Al-Shiekh’s February 22nd card in Riyadh. A fight between Murtazaliev and Vergil Ortiz Jr. would have been more interesting than his scheduled clash against the recently beaten former WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov on the card.
That would have been a far more dangerous fight for Vergil than Madrimov, who doesn’t go on the attack the way Murtazaliev does. However, Ortiz Jr. had the option of choosing his opponent for that card, and he wanted Madrimov.
We are about to receive wonderful news ⏳ pic.twitter.com/9W1R2mh85C
— bakhram murtazaliev (@bakhram95) January 28, 2025
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