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Murtazaliev fights Kelly – not a fight he deserves

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Image: Josh Kelly Volunteers to End Turki Alalshikh's Search for a Bakhram Murtazaliev Opponent

An agreement was concluded between IBF junior middleweight champion Bakhram Murtazaliev and Josh Kelly for a fight that will take place on January 31, 2026 in England. Tuesday’s tender offer was reportedly canceled after an agreement was reached for Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing to promote the event.

Dan Rafael broke this story earlier today. #3 IBF Kelly (17-1-1, 9 KO) will have his first title fight after eight years in the professional ranks. It’s a elevated order for him as he lacks power and only has the advantage once, when he fought power puncher David Avanesyan in a sixth-round knockout loss on February 20, 2021.

Murtazalieva’s year-long wait is coming to an end

Bakhram (23-0, 17 KO) finally fought after sitting on the sidelines for a solid 12 months on October 19, 2024, after scoring a career-best third-round knockout victory over Tim Tszyu.

Russian-born Murtazaliev, 32, of Grozny, was hoping to build on his upset victory over former WBO 154-pound champion Tszyu in huge fights. Top contenders and junior middleweight champions treated him like a leper. None of them showed any interest in fighting him.

Will Kelly step down as champion?

Kelly (31) is the best player Murtazaliev’s team could have produced, and he is obviously far from the top he would prefer to fight. If Bakhram looks impressive beating Josh on January 31, 2026, perhaps some of the reluctant top fighters will show interest in fighting him if he doesn’t scare them or their promoters away.

2016 Olympian Kelly has won his last seven fights since losing to Avanesyan in 2021. However, Kelly’s opponent has been anything but sensational. Of the seven, the standout is Ishmael Davis, who has lost three of his last four fights. This shows the level of opposition Kelly has been up against since his loss to Avanesyan.

Social media predicts massacre

Fans on social media ridiculed the Murtazaliev-Kelly fight, describing it as a massacre waiting to happen. They are not giving Kelly a chance to beat Bakhram, predicting an early knockout.

Last update: 28/10/2025

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Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley 2: Round-by-Round Live Updates and Results

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Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley 2: Round-by-Round Live Updates and Results

Daniel Dubois will face Fabio Wardley in a rematch of a heavyweight slugfest from earlier this year, with Dubois defending the WBO heavyweight title he took from Wardley on that night.

Live coverage will kick off at 2 pm ET, and we’ll have results and updates during the four-fight, main card undercard, then live, round-by-round scoring and updates for the main event itself.

How to watch Dubois vs Wardley 2

Start time: 2:00 pm ET for main card, prelims begin at 11:00 am ET

Streaming: DAZN (Ultimate subscription or Pay-Per-View)

PPV Cost: As a standalone, one-off purchase Pay-Per-View, the price is $59.99 (or £24.99). With DAZN’s Ultimate tier, the show is included as part of your subscription.

Location: O2 Arena – London, England

Dubois vs Wardley 2 full undercard and running order

Live Stream: Dubois vs Wardley 2 Prelims

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Mannix and Mora Support Fabio Wardley in Quest for Vengeance

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"Mannix and Mora Support Fabio Wardley in Quest for Vengeance"

Fabio Wardley can turn his early success against Daniel Dubois into a rematch victory if he avoids exhausting himself chasing the finish. He proved he could hurt Dubois in their first fight. The harder task is keeping control when an opponent he has dropped continues coming forward.

Wardley scored two early knockdowns before Dubois recovered and stopped him. That leaves an opening for a different result, although better pacing alone may not be enough to prevent another punishing night.

Chris Mannix and Sergio Mora both back Wardley to win again on Saturday, with Mannix choosing him by stoppage. Mora believes Wardley’s eagerness to finish Dubois helped undo his promising start.

“If he just doesn’t punch himself out, he thinks about setting up that right hand, doesn’t get right hand happy,” Mora said to DAZN Boxing.

That is the adjustment Wardley needs to make under pressure. Once Dubois survived his biggest punches, Wardley needed something beyond another loaded right hand. Working behind his jab and putting punches together would give him more ways to attack without spending everything on a single finish.

Dubois deserves credit for surviving those knockdowns and returning to his jab. Mora believes his previous defeats helped him stay composed when Wardley hurt him. Wardley now has his own experience of a fight turning against him.

“I think he’ll be smarter after this fight. I think he’ll learn some lessons,” Mannix said. “I think Wardley wins by stoppage in this fight.”

Mannix’s biggest concern is what the first beating took out of Wardley. Learning the tactical lesson does not guarantee he will absorb Dubois’ punches the same way in the rematch.

Wardley’s power gives their picks a credible foundation. He has already put Dubois down twice. To complete the job, he needs to create another opening without allowing the pursuit of a knockout to leave him exhausted and exposed again.

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Boxing247.com is an independent boxing news publication covering the sport since 2001. It provides original reporting, fight analysis, schedules, results, and informed coverage of major fighters and events worldwide, backed by more than 25 years of professional boxing journalism.

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Bam Rodriguez Proposes March Fight, But Inoue Eyes New Opportunities

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"Bam Rodriguez Proposes March Fight, But Inoue Eyes New Opportunities"

Jesse Rodriguez is willing to meet Naoya Inoue in March, yet that timeline still depends entirely on the undisputed champion waiting for him. Inoue may prefer an earlier ring return, which would leave Rodriguez on the outside looking in as he continues handling business at bantamweight.

Trainer Robert Garcia revealed that Rodriguez can make a March date work, moving up his original April or May target. Still, the camp intends to take on WBO champion Christian Medina in December first.

Robert confirmed the updated outlook to The Ring: “I previously said April or May, but we can be ready for March.”

While that shortens the wait, early 2027 remains unresolved. Turki Alalshikh pointed toward a January appearance in Japan. Eddie Hearn mentioned February or March instead. Clear alignment on a date is completely absent.

Rodriguez must fulfill a contract before New Year’s Eve, with Garcia eyeing December 11 or December 19 against Medina. The camp figures Rodriguez can enjoy the holidays, then jump straight into camp for Inoue.

That expectation rests on an ideal outcome against Medina. Cuts, bruised knuckles, or an unexpectedly brutal bout could easily force Rodriguez to take extra recovery time. Inoue would effectively be pinning his calendar on a fighter who still has to survive another bout first.

Inoue is already eyeing an eventual jump to featherweight. Sitting around waiting for Rodriguez to finish his stay at 118 pounds makes little sense for the Japanese star.

Garcia admitted neither he nor Hearn has received an official approach to begin talks. The public chatter is moving much faster than the paperwork.

Putting March on the table does not guarantee Inoue’s cooperation. If March works on both sides, the matchup can happen. If Inoue wants to fight sooner, Rodriguez will either have to scrap his December plans or watch this major fight slip away.

Bam is acting like someone who wants the glory of calling out Inoue without actually taking the risk of meeting him on his terms.

When a fighter gets an invitation to share a ring with the sport’s biggest pound-for-pound attraction, they drop everything. They do not tell the undisputed champion to take a number and wait until spring because Christian Medina is on the calendar. That makes zero sense. A routine belt grab against Medina does nothing for Rodriguez’s profile, brings in a fraction of the money, and accomplishes very little that fans care about.

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BoxingNews24.com has delivered independent boxing coverage since 2007, including original news, fight analysis, schedules, and results. Our experienced boxing writers cover major fighters and events worldwide, with published content reviewed by editors for accuracy.

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