Murtazaliev Vs. Kelly: A Disappointing Mismatch Eyed For Canelo-Crawford Undercard?

IBF junior middleweight champion Bakhram Murtazaliev and #3 ranked Josh Kelly are reportedly in negotiations for a fight on the undercard of Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford on September 13th at Allegiant Stadium.

Murtazaliev-Kelly Fight Negotiations

Lance Pugmire broke the story on Murtazaliev (23-0, 17 KOs) and Kelly (17-1-1, 9 KOs) negotiating to battle it out on the Canelo-Crawford card. If the fight gets made, it’ll create some interest for the undercard.

Murtazaliev hasn’t fought since his third-round knockout win over Tim Tszyu on October 19th last year in Orlando, Florida. That performance effectively scared off all the top 154-pounders. None of the top fighters have wanted to tangle with Bakhram after what he did to Tszyu.

IBF Mandatory Lubin Problem

People are wondering what happened with Murtazaliev’s defense against his IBF mandatory Erickson Lubin. The IBF has ordered the fight, and it’s supposed to happen next. If Murtazaliev is going to defend against Kelly, 31, next, it means there must be a step-aside deal.

That’s the only known contender that has expressed interest in fighting Murtazaliev, but it’s not like he has any choice. He’s ranked #1 with the IBF. It’s either this for Lubin or nothing, and fighting in obscurity in non-world title fights.

U.S. fans would prefer to see Murtazaliev face Lubin next because he’s a solid fighter, and they’re more familiar with him than they are with Kelly. For a lot of Americans, they know Kelly from his sixth-round knockout loss to David Avanesyan in 2021. He looked terrible in that fight, being dominated by Avanesyan.

Placing Murtazaliev-Kelly on the undercard on September 13th will help get some of the UK fans motivated to subscribe to Netflix to watch the event. There’s no reason for Brits to want to watch the Canelo vs. Crawford fight because they’re not from their area of the world.

Mismatch or Car Crash Fight?

Thus far, none of the names floated for the undercard have attracted interest. This fight would be compelling in a car crash-type of way. It’s a complete mismatch on paper, but it’s sure to get fans talking.

Turki Alalshikh said last week that he wants to use young, hungry fighters on the card because he felt that the main event between undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo and Crawford was big enough without the need for a strong supporting cast.

Considering there are a lot of fans who are not enamored with the aging Crawford and his fighting style, it’s a good idea for Turki to beef up the skeletal undercard.