Bakhram Murtazaliev is heading back to the ring. The former IBF junior middleweight titleholder will fight on December 12 in Yekaterinburg, appearing on the undercard beneath the Dmitry Bivol vs. Callum Smith light heavyweight showdown. It marks his first appearance in roughly eleven months, since dropping his crown to Josh Kelly in a hotly debated verdict.
According to Dan Rafael, a rival has yet to be confirmed for the Russian native’s homecoming bout.
The comeback offers Murtazaliev a chance to move past his January 31 setback against Kelly in Newcastle, a majority-decision defeat that carried a tough lesson about defending gold on unfamiliar soil. Throughout the fight, he permitted Kelly to dictate tempo instead of pressing for consistent action, leaving the outcome in the hands of judges surrounded by a crowd rooting hard for the hometown fighter. An unusual even score in the closing round proved pivotal, tipping the contest toward Kelly.
Despite an appeal to the sport’s governing body, the decision held. Kelly kept the belt and has since drawn interest for a potential unification clash with reigning WBA/WBO champ Jaron “Boots” Ennis — a spotlight opportunity Murtazaliev once seemed destined for himself.
It’s a bitter pill. Murtazaliev shouldered the bigger gamble by fighting overseas, came up short in a tight scorecard battle, and now watches his rival climb toward boxing’s biggest stages. Still just 32, the hard-hitting 154-pounder remains a genuine threat, as shown by his brutal third-round knockout of Tim Tszyu back in October 2024 — proof of what happens when foes stay within his range. Kelly avoided that trap entirely by working from distance.
Whoever he faces this December will reveal just how serious this rebuild really is. A gentle return bout makes sense given the long layoff, but time isn’t unlimited — 2027 will likely require a genuinely significant fight to keep his title dreams alive.
