Raymond Muratalla will move in a different direction before he revisits an eventual showdown with Andy Cruz.
BoxingScene has confirmed that Muratalla will pursue a voluntary defense for his first act as IBF lightweight titlist. The decision was made after talks broke off with Cruz, the 2020 Olympic gold medalist for Cuba who is still due a mandatory title shot.
It also puts Muratalla, 23-0 (17 KOs), on a very tight timeline if he wants to retain his title in 2026. BoxingScene confirmed that he must face Cruz by no later than February 10, 2026. His optional title defense must take place no later than 60 days before that deadline, which means he needs to secure an opponent and get in the ring by December.
Ring Magazine previously reported that Muratalla was currently in talks with Floyd Schofield Jnr, 19-0 (13 KOs), who is the next-highest-rated IBF contender behind Cruz.
Muratalla claimed an interim version of the IBF with a 12-round unanimous decision over Zaur Abdullaev on May 10 in San Diego. The fight was made with the understanding that the winner would be due a shot at then-IBF titlist Vasiliy Lomachenko by October 9.
Lomachenko instead announced his retirement from the sport, which resulted in Muratalla receiving an upgrade to full title status.
It also paved the way for Cruz, 6-0 (3 KOs), to enter a final title eliminator. He made proper use of the opportunity as he manhandled Hironori Mishiro in a sixth-round stoppage on June 14 in New York City.
The attempt by Cruz to speed up his mandatory process appeared to make progress. His side accepted an offer made for a fight with Muratalla this fall. However, Muratalla and his team declined to move forward with the fight, as was their right since the IBF hasn’t yet ordered the mandatory.
BoxingScene has confirmed that Cruz will return to the ring in the fourth quarter. The idea is for him to get in the ring early enough to leave room for his due title shot next February.
