IBF junior middleweight champion Bakhram Murtazaliev could finally return to the ring before the end of 2025, with negotiations ongoing for a defense against Britain’s Josh Kelly. According to promoter Kathy Duva, discussions with Kelly’s trainer and manager Adam Booth are advanced, but securing a broadcaster remains the last major hurdle.
Murtazaliev has not fought since stopping Tim Tszyu in three rounds last October in Orlando, a performance that reinforced his reputation as one of the division’s most dangerous fighters - and, ironically, made him one of its most avoided. Injuries, Ramadan, and failed talks with other contenders like Sebastian Fundora and Vergil Ortiz Jr. have kept him sidelined, while Kelly has openly campaigned for the fight.
Watch Murtazaliev vs. Tszyu highlights: Watch
“The UK makes the most sense,” Duva told BoxingScene. “Adam and I are on the same page. We want this fight. We just need a TV partner to make it happen. Bakhram is ready, Josh wants it, and we’re working hard to deliver it this year.”
Criticism has mounted over Murtazaliev’s inactivity, with Fundora and Ortiz choosing other routes and Erickson Lubin withdrawing from a planned October date. Duva defended her fighter’s stance, saying he never priced himself out: “Bakhram has never once said, ‘I won’t fight unless I get X amount.’ It’s always been, ‘What’s available? Let’s do it.’”
If finalized, Murtazaliev-Kelly would give the UK another world title bout in boxing’s deepest division, which already features Fundora-Thurman, Ortiz-Lubin, and Ennis-Lima this fall. With names like Xander Zayas, Serhii Bohachuk, and Israil Madrimov also circling, the weight class is brimming with potential classics - provided the top fighters step in together.
Image Credit: The Ring