Bakhram Murtazaliev responded on social media to Jaron “Boots” Ennis’ victory over Uisma Lima last Saturday night, saying: “I’m ready.”

Hearn’s target list keeps Bakhram waiting

IBF junior middleweight champion Murtazaliev (23-0, 17 KO) is one of five names Ennis’ promoter Eddie Hearn wants to mention next in his fight. Hearn is taking aim at all champions, including interim belt holder Vergil Ortiz Jr.

Unfortunately for Bakhram, he is not the main target of “Boots” (35-0, 31 KO) and Hearn. They want Vergil Jr. (23-0, 21 KO) because he is better known, more popular and it would be a bigger pay-per-view fight. Moreover, it is probably easier than facing Murtazaliev, who had a terrible left hook that could have caused Ennis a lot of problems.

The Mute Shark Finally Speaks

I’m ready 😉

— Bakhram Murtazaliev (@bakhram95) October 12, 2025

No one wants Tszyu treated like this again

Murtazaliev’s inactivity may be a problem for him. He has not fought since a third-round knockout of former WBO junior middleweight champion Tim Tszyu on October 19, 2024. All the top fighters and their promoters showed no interest in fighting him after he reduced Tszyu to rubble.

As you might expect, Hearn and Ennis will save Murtazaliev for last, after they first fought these fighters and won belts at 154:

• Vergil Ortiz Jr: WBC interim
• Sebastian Fundora: WBC
• Abass Baraou: WBA
• Xander Zayas: WBO

Last night, “Boots” didn’t have to worry so much about getting hit, as he crushed the inexperienced Lima (14-2, 10 KO) in the first round after dropping him twice at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The ending came when Ennis hit Lima with a barrage of fire, prompting referee Shawn Clark to stop the fight at 1:58. Lima, 32, had no experience fighting top fighters in the 154-pound weight class.

The only fighter on Lima’s resume is Aaron McKenna, a middleweight who lost to him by a one-sided, 10-round unanimous decision two years ago on June 16, 2023. Hearn smartly chose Uisma as the ideal exhibition opponent for “Boots” to debut against at 154, rather than someone who could give him real fight.

This was a waste of time for Ennis and dampened fan reaction. If he had fought a better opponent than Lima, his popularity would have increased much more today than it did after defeating the losing, little-known Uisma Lima. This fight didn’t even look sporty.

Woods’ view: the fight Hearn doesn’t want yet

Hearn’s top two options – Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Sebastian Fundora for Ennis’ next fight – clearly show that he is not yet willing to test his fighter against IBF champion Murtazaliev.

It appears that Hearn wants to take his fighter slowly, in tiny steps, next fighting brawler Vergil Jr. and then Fundora.

So if Ennis beats these fighters and looks like pure gold, Hearn will roll the dice and compare him to the 154-pound boogeyman, Bakhram. This is a clever way to fit the “Boots”, but it will also snail-paced down its development, stunting its popularity and growth.

Is it possible that Hearn still remembers Ennis’ performance against Karen Chukhadzhian in the rematch last November, which caused him to put on the brakes to face unsafe striker Murtazaliev?