New IBF lightweight champion Raymond Muratalla will step immediately into a challenging assignment when he defends his belt against Cuba’s Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz on January 24 at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas, BoxingScene learned Friday.
The Matchroom-promoted card will be streamed on DAZN.
Cruz’s eagerness to become a world champion led him to sign for the fight in July, when there was initial interest in placing it on a card in Saudi Arabia.
Negotiations continued through last week, when Matchroom won the purse bid.
The 28-year-old Muratalla, 23-0 (17 KOs), of Fontana, California, was elevated to champion after defeating Russia’s Zaur Abdullaev via a wide unanimous decision in May at Pechanga Arena in San Diego.
Muratalla gained the belt when the veteran three-division champion Vasiliy Lomachenko of Ukraine announced his retirement.
Cruz, 30, became the mandatory challenger after defeating Hironori Mishiro by fifth-round TKO in June at the Madison Square Garden Theater in New York.
Cruz is 6-0 as a pro and has flashed increased power in his past three fights, performing strongly in January when he defeated Omar Salcido via unanimous decision in Japan, with both reigning WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson and then-WBO champion Keyshawn Davis watching from ringside.
Cruz defeated Davis in 2021 in Tokyo to win his gold medal.
