The sport’s least sought-after beltholder will once again turn to the IBF to speed up the process in advancing his next title defense.
BoxingScene has confirmed that the IBF has scheduled a purse bid hearing for the previously ordered Bakhram Murtazaliev-Josh Kelly 154lbs title fight. The session is due to take place on Tuesday, to be conducted via video conference as monitored from the sanctioning body’s headquarters in Springfield, New Jersey.
The development comes two months – almost to the day – after England’s Kelly was named the new mandatory challenger for Russia’s Murtazaliev, the reigning IBF 154lbs titleholder.
After weeks of promises that a deal was within reach, the sanctioning body took matters into its own hands.
Murtazaliev, 23-0 (17 KOs) is promoted by Main Events and managed by Egis Klimas. Kelly, 17-1-1 (9 KOs), is with Wasserman Boxing.
The fight was first ordered after Murtazaliev saw his previously ordered title defense against Erickson Lubin, 27-2 (19 KOs) fall through on the morning of a scheduled August 19 purse bid. Lubin became the mandatory challenger in a May 10 knockout win over Ardreal Holmes. However, he bailed on the proceedings to instead next face WBC interim titlist Vergil Ortiz, 23-0 (21 KOs) on November 8 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Meanwhile, Murtazaliev has yet to fight in 2025. In fact, he just passed one full year of inactivity on Sunday. His last bout came in a brutally one-sided, third-round knockout of former WBO 154lbs titlist Tim Tszyu last October 19 in Orlando, Florida.
The bout remains the lone defense of the IBF 154lbs title he claimed in an 11th round knockout of Jack Culcay last April on the road in Falkansee, Germany.
Kelly has won seven in a row since a Feb. 2021 knockout loss to David Avanesyan, his lone career defeat. The 2012 Olympian for Great Britain has since boxed his way into contention, a career resurrection that came about after he signed with Wasserman in 2022.
Among his notable victories, Kelly withstood a stiff challenge from late replacement and then-unbeaten Ishmael Davis to take a majority decision last September 21 at Wembley Stadium. Kelly was due at the time to face former 154lbs titleholder Liam Smith, who withdrew from their Daniel Dubois-Anthony Joshua undercard clash due to a viral infection.
Just one fight – though barely that - has followed for the 31-year-old Sunderland native, who knocked out Romania’s Flavius Biea in just over two minutes on June 6 in Newcastle.
Per IBF rules covering purse bids, both boxers are required to move forward with the fight.
Kelly will be subject to a demotion outside the IBF top 10 and ineligible to fight in any IBF-sanctioned bout for at least six months. Similarly, Murtazaliev would be subject to having his title stripped should he fail to move forward with the ordered fight.
Jake Donovan is an award-winning journalist who served as a senior writer for BoxingScene from 2007-2024, and news editor for the final nine years of his first tour. He was also the lead writer for The Ring before his decision to return home. Follow Jake on X and Instagram.
