NEWCASTLE, England – Josh Kelly has not been intimidated by the figure of Bakhram Murtazaliev during fight week. Nor will he be Saturday night when the battle commences.
Russia’s Murtazaliev, the IBF junior middleweight titleholder, has traveled to Newcastle, England, to defend his throne against Kelly. Many onlookers noted Murtazaliev’s power, which he showed on the pads at the media workouts. Others pointed to his intimidating face and stature, as well as his frightening knockout record. But for Kelly, it all means little.
“I don't look at exterior. If Bakhram never boxed, and worked on a farm, he’d still be a scary-looking dude,” Kelly said. “It’s just because he’s a boxer, it plays hand-in-hand with it. The greats like Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard, if you saw them looking down the street, you wouldn’t think they’re killers. But they are when they get in the ring. So I feel at ease, I feel calm. I’m here and I am ready to put a performance on. I feel great. I believe I will be the new IBF world champion. This is everything I've envisioned and everything I've thought about. It has come to fruition, including this. So I can't wait.”
Murtazaliev is fighting for the first time since November 2024, when he impressively dismantled Tim Tszyu in three rounds. He has been short of challengers since then, but he does not believe the inactivity will play a factor.
“Fifteen months out was a long time, but it went very well,” Murtazaliev said. “I was training a lot and I am looking forward a lot to stepping in the ring on Saturday and do what I like to and what I love to do.”
“They're confident, as you would expect,” Murtazaliev said of Kelly. “It makes me laugh a little bit about knocking me down. But let's see what Saturday is going to bring and let's see what's after the fight.”
Tom Ivers is a lifelong fight fan and former amateur boxer who has a master’s degree in sports journalism. He had his first bout in 2013 and spent the majority of his career at the Salisbury Amateur Boxing Club in Liverpool, England, where he won two regional titles. Tom joined BoxingScene in 2024 and is now a key part of the UK and social media teams. You can reach him @tomosivers on X and Instagram.
