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Josh Kelly faces evaded IBF champion Bakhram Murtazaliev

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Image: Josh Kelly Gets the Fight Others Avoid as Murtazaliev Finally Returns

Why you can’t ignore layoffs

Murtazaliev last fought in October 2024, when he defeated Tim Tszyu and confirmed his weight at 154 pounds. He should have opened the door. That didn’t happen. He emerged from that fight threatening, dominant and commercially abandoned. Being too demanding without drawing power causes fighters to stagnate.

The tools remain. Pressure. Cutting rings. Engage in shots that cause damage rather than earning praise. What needs proving now is timing. Long breaks blunt instincts. Closing the space from moving after such a long time is not automatic.

Kelly’s plan is obvious and delicate

There is no mystery to Josh Kelly’s approach. He will move. He will deceive. Touch it once and go away. Only single shots. Anything else risks falling.

Kelly cannot trade. It cannot be based on exchanges. Against Murtazaliev, such a fight ends quickly. Survival depends on distance control and neat exits in each round.

The problem is durability. Traffic slows down. Legs are burning. The ring is shrinking. Murtazaliev thrives when opponents lose half a step.

The career advantage that Kelly stands on

Kelly is a 2016 Olympian who has bounced back once before. His sixth-round loss to David Avanesyan in 2021 cost him years. He stepped aside carefully. At the age of 31, this path is shorter.

Another championship loss wouldn’t end his career. This is a decisive task, whether he says so or not.

Victory changes everything. The IBF belt gives you an advantage. Jaron Ennis has already been mentioned. Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Sebastian Fundora live in the same league. These fights only exist on hardware.

What will this fight really decide?

Murtazaliev enters as the favorite. The pressure is expected to build from round to round until Kelly runs out of space. Kelly needs a near-perfect performance. Murtazaliev needs to show that the break has not taken away his sharpness.

The bottom tab adds content. Josh Padley will face Jaouad Belmehdi in a twelve-round fight for the vacant EBU super featherweight title. Padley is remembered for interfering tardy in a match against Shakur Stevenson last February in Riyad and being stopped. This is a chance to reset.

The main event decides more than just the defense. Murtazaliev needs dynamics and visibility. Kelly needs proof that he still belongs at this level. Only one comes out with answers.

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Keyshawn Davis says his next fight at 147 pounds could be a title shot

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Image: Keyshawn Davis Says Next Fight Likely at 147, “For a Championship”

“My next fight will definitely be under a credible name, bigger than Jamaine Ortiz,” Keyshawn told Fight Hub TV.

Since stopping Jamaine Ortiz in the 12th round on January 31 at Madison Square Garden, Keyshawn has been openly calling for bigger fights. He has mentioned names from junior welterweights and welterweights in interviews and on social media, including Devin Haney, Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz, Richardson Hitchins, Lewis Crocker and Lamont Roach Jr.

These challenges followed a performance that Keyshawn pointed to as evidence that he was among the top contenders. He dropped and stopped Ortiz in a fight where several previous opponents had gone the distance against a hard-wearing opponent. Now Keyshawn says the next step will take him to a welterweight title shot.

“I think I’m on the rise,” Keyshawn said when asked about the importance of his next fight, confirming plans to compete at 147 pounds and indicating the fight will be for the world championship.

Keyshawn did not name his opponent, but hinted that the fight would be a step up from his last fight. He also said that discussions about this fight have already taken place and that his return could come sooner than many expect.

A move up to welterweight would place Keyshawn in one of boxing’s most competitive divisions, with several established fighters already competing for title opportunities and championship fights receiving constant attention.

One possible opponent at 147 pounds is IBF champion Lewis Crocker, who Keyshawn mentioned when discussing future fights. Keyshawn has previously said he would be willing to head to the UK to challenge Crocker if a title opportunity arises. No agreement has been announced, but a fight has emerged as one potential path if the fighter wins the welterweight title outright.

For now, Keyshawn says preparations for his return are already underway as talks continue for a world title fight.

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Canelo Alvarez discusses his retirement plan

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Canelo Alvarez addresses his retirement plan

Canelo Alvarez talked about how long he could stay in the sport before hanging up his gloves and opting for a decorated career.

The 35-year-old is already destined for a place in the Hall of Fame, as he became a four-division world champion, but he still wants to compete at the highest level.

Since his professional debut in 2005, the Mexican has made 68 appearances and has twice become the undisputed king of the 168-pound division, scoring notable victories over the likes of Callum Smith and Caleb Plant.

However, his most critical victory came in the middleweight division, where Alvarez made a very controversial decision by majority vote in a rematch with Gennady Golovkin in 2018.

More controversial was their first meeting a year earlier, when many felt Golovkin had done enough to claim a convincing victory and the Kazakhstan ended in a draw.

Still, Canelo received plenty of credit for his follow-up triumph before dethroning Sergei Kovalev to capture the WBO featherlight heavyweight title over a year later.

Alvarez’s second undisputed super middleweight reign came to an end last September when Terence Crawford moved up two weight classes and won a unanimous decision.

But Canelo explained anyway Froch About the fight that he can still compete for another two years, maybe even longer, depending on how often his opportunities come along.

“I don’t know. I think maybe two years. I don’t need it, [but] I still enjoy it. If I [fight] maybe once a year [I can go on] a little bit [longer].

“Once a year to rest my body, I think I can fight more [than two years]”

Although an official announcement has not yet been made, Canelo is scheduled to fight in Riyad, Saudi Arabia this September, and Turki Alalshikh has promised to fight for the world title.

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The Inoue-Nakatani title fight will take place on May 2 at the Tokyo Dome

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Boxing’s worst kept secret has now been confirmed – Naoya Inoue (32-0, 27 KO) and Junto Nakatani (32-0, 24 KO) will meet on May 2 at the Tokyo Dome for Inoue’s undisputed junior featherweight championship.

The all-Japan clash was formally announced at a press conference in Japan. The fight will be broadcast live on Lemino pay-per-view; US distribution rights have not yet been announced.

Inoue – ESPN’s No. 2 pound-for-pound boxer – is coming off an impressive 2025 in which he competed four times, defeating Kim Ye-Joon, Ramon Cardenas, Murodjon Akhmadaliev and David Picasso. Thanks to Inoue’s unanimous decision victory over Picasso in December, Nakatani defeated Sebastian Hernandez in the second fight of the night in a tougher-than-expected fight. Their victories set up a long-awaited clash between two of Japan’s best players.

Nakatani is ranked No. 6 pound-for-pound by ESPN and will look to become a four-division champion after winning world titles at bantamweight, junior bantamweight and flyweight. Although Nakatani narrowly won his junior featherweight debut in a grueling fight against Hernandez, Nakatani proved he was one of the best fighters in the world and had a powerful showing in 2025, winning 3-0.

The Undercard will feature Inoue’s younger brother Takuma defending his WBC bantamweight title against former four-division titleholder Kazuto Ioka.

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