Josh Kelly defeats Bakhram Murtazaliev to claim world championship title

Josh Kelly outsmarted powerful puncher Bakhram Murtazaliev with his tactical boxing to claim the IBF world junior middleweight title via a majority points decision on Saturday.

The English fighter secured his first world title belt with an unexpected victory that thrilled his home audience in Newcastle, with judges scoring the bout 115-111, 114-113, and 113-113.

Kelly prompted a count in the fourth round when he connected with a solid counter jab, but was then knocked down himself by a left hook in the ninth round.

However, Kelly earned the victory through his astute movement and rapid punches, which restricted Murtazaliev from landing significant strikes.

“Without the crowd’s energy, I wouldn’t have been able to get back up,” Kelly remarked to DAZN afterward.

“I remained calm and composed, except for the ninth round. I’m ready for anyone in a big fight next.”

Kelly (18-1-1, 9 KOs) stated to ESPN that he was “not concerned” about facing heavy hitters like Murtazaliev, and he substantiated those bold claims with a standout performance that showcased his speed, skill, and discipline, which frustrated the champion. Kelly attacked in quick, sharp bursts and then moved out of range to prevent Murtazaliev from retaliating.

Having defeated one of the top threats at 154 pounds, Kelly is now a contender to face the winner of the upcoming bout between WBO champion Xander Zayas (22-0, 13 KOs) and WBA titleholder Abass Baraou (17-1, 9 KOs), who were scheduled to fight later in Puerto Rico on January 31.

Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis from Philadelphia, the former world welterweight champion and currently regarded as the top contender at 154 pounds, is another potential opponent for Kelly in his first title defense if a match against Vergil Ortiz Jr. does not materialize.

Murtazaliev (23-1, 17 KOs) lost the title in his second defense after the Russian struggled to land clean punches consistently due to Kelly’s agile footwork and precise jab.

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Kelly, 31, hailing from Sunderland, entered the ring following a seven-fight winning streak since being stopped by David Avanesyan at welterweight in 2021.

Murtazaliev, 33, originally from Chechnya but residing in Glendale, California, had not fought for 15 months after knocking down Tim Tszyu four times in a three-round bout, and that inactivity may have contributed to his difficulty in landing more punches.

Kelly, trained by Adam Booth in London, had also seen limited action in 2025, but he quickly recognized the threat posed by Murtazaliev when the Russian landed a right hand late in the first round. Kelly’s hand speed proved challenging for Murtazaliev late in the second round as he effectively pierced the Russian’s guard with his jabs.

Kelly continued to find success in the third round, landing quick combinations before moving out of range.

He then surprised Murtazaliev with a counter jab that caused the off-balance Russian to briefly touch down and receive a count in the fourth round. Murtazaliev shook his head and quickly regained his footing, but the speed of the punch had put Kelly ahead.

Murtazaliev pursued Kelly around the ring in the fifth round but was caught again on the counter just before the bell by a right hand. Kelly appeared to be leading at the halfway mark and skillfully evaded Murtazaliev’s punches in the seventh round.

Kelly troubled Murtazaliev in the eighth round with a combination to the body and head, with the challenger seemingly in control.

However, Murtazaliev finally connected with some clean shots in the ninth round, knocking Kelly to his knees with a left hook to the top of the head. After the count, Kelly was hit again by a right hand on the ropes but managed to avoid further trouble.

Both fighters had their moments in an exciting eleventh round, and Murtazaliev landed a significant overhand right at the start of the final round as he sought the knockout. Kelly unleashed a series of punches when Murtazaliev found himself cornered, and the challenger concluded the fight celebrating before the scores were revealed.

On the undercard, IBF women’s lightweight champion Elif Nur Turhan faced a tougher contest than in her recent bouts, as she was held to a split points decision against Taylah Gentzen (8-2, 3 KOs). The Turkish boxer won with scores of 98-92, 96-94, and 93-97 after landing more power punches than Gentzen.

Turhan (13-0, 8 KOs) had stopped her last four opponents, including Beatriz Ferreira in her previous fight just two months prior.

Josh Padley achieved a second-round stoppage victory over Jaouad Belmehdi to claim the vacant European junior lightweight title.

Padley (18-1, 6 KOs), who was stopped by Shakur Stevenson in the ninth round of a WBC world lightweight title defense a year ago, knocked down Belmehdi with a left hook in the second round and maintained the pressure to secure the stoppage.