Khalil Coe and Jesse Hart are back in each other's sights.
Matchroom Boxing has confirmed that the repurposed light heavyweight bout has been rescheduled, though they will take their East Coast rivalry to the other side of the country. Their scheduled 10-round clash will serve as the chief support to the Raymond Muratalla-Andy Cruz IBF 135lbs title fight as part of a January 24 DAZN show from Fontainebleau Las Vegas.
Also confirmed for the card:
- WBA 154lbs titlist Israil Madrimov, 10-2-1 (7 KOs), who faces Luis David Salazar in his first fight since back-to-back-defeats to Terence “Bud” Crawford and Vergil Ortiz Jnr.
- 2024 Olympic bronze medalist Omari Jones, 4-0 (4 KOs) – the only American to medal in Paris – faces Jerome Baxter Jnr, 7-0 (3 KOs) in a junior middleweight contest.
- Rising prospects, Ronny Alvarez, Kaipo Gallegos, Harley Mederos and Zaquin Moses all risk their perfect records in separate contests versus opponents to be determined.
Coe, 10-1-1 (7 KOs) and Hart, 31-3 (25 KOs) were due to meet last October 11 in Hart’s hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The bout was canceled less than two weeks from fight night when Coe – who hails from North Jersey – was forced to withdraw due to a recurring injury that didn’t fully heal by the end of training camp.
The stall out left Coe with just one fight in 2025. It was productive, as he stopped Manuel Gallegos in the 6th round of their May 30 rematch in Guadalajara, Mexico. Coe avenged his lone career defeat from when he was stopped in the 9th round six months prior in Philadelphia.
Hart, 36, will enter the ring having not fought since a knockout win on April 27 in Philly. The former two-time title challenger has put together a modest five-fight win streak – spray-painted over a five-year stretch – since a January 2020 defeat to Joe Smith Jnr to knock him out of title contention.
The lone other two defeats on Hart’s ledger came at the hands of Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, who was the undefeated WBO 168lbs titlist at the time of their September 2017 and December 2018 meetings. Ramirez – now a unified WBA/WBO 200lbs titlist - won both on points, settling for a majority decision in their rematch, which also marked his final title defense at the weight.
Headlining the show, California’s Muratalla, 23-0 (17 KOs) attempts his first IBF 135lbs title defense against Cruz, 6-0 (3 KOs), a Miami-based Cuban who claimed Olympic gold in 2021.
