The long and winding road of bringing IBF 154lbs champion Bakhram Murtazaliev back into a boxing ring is nearing a conclusion with word Tuesday that his team has called off purse-bid talks with Josh Kelly and is on “the brink of a deal” with the U.K.-based contender.
An official connected to the negotiations told BoxingScene that Murtazaliev-Kelly is expected to be promoted by Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, targeting a fight date near the end of January in the U.K. with DAZN streaming the bout.
It is likely that the fight will be headed to the north east of England; Kelly is from Sunderland and nearby Newcastle is the favorite to host, another official told BoxingScene.
That individual said Matchroom beat a U.S.-based promoter to seal the deal, and that February 14 is also in play as a potential date.
Russia’s Murtazaliev, 23-0 (17 KOs), has been away from the ring since his defining October 19, 2024, third-round knockout of former champion Tim Tszyu in Florida.
His talks with mandatory opponent Erickson Lubin crumbled when Lubin opted to take a far higher purse against WBC interim 154lbs champion Vergil Ortiz Jnr November 8 in Fort Worth, Texas.
That moved Murtazaliev to Kelly, 17-1-1 (9 KOs), but the IBF’s restrictive purse percentage severely limited Kelly’s proposed earnings, causing negotiating delays.
As many boxing luminaries are attending the WBO Convention in Bogota, Colombia, this week, the official said they “will put words to paper next week,” finalizing the contract and moving Murtazaliev, 32, closer to his greatly anticipated return.
