Kelly has rebuilt his career quietly since being stopped by David Avanesyan in 2021. He has won seven straight fights since then, all around the junior middleweight limit, and earned his position as Murtazaliev’s mandatory challenger. He has not faced anyone of this level during that stretch, but he believes his skill set gives him a chance to disrupt what most expect to happen.
That is what makes this fight different. Murtazaliev is the strongest opponent Kelly has faced since Avanesyan, and he is coming off a performance that still shapes how people see him.
Murtazaliev last fought in October, when he stopped Tim Tszyu in three rounds, dropping him repeatedly in a performance that announced his arrival at the top of the division. It was violent and one sided, and it has lingered in the background of every conversation about this fight since.
Kelly knows what that reputation brings, and he believes it has narrowed how the fight is being judged.
Murtazaliev does not need to win rounds to hurt you, which is what Kelly will be dealing with from the opening bell. The Russian’s style is built around pressure and power rather than pace, and he has shown he can end fights suddenly.
Kelly understands the risk and what it could cost him, because a knockout loss here would undo four years of rebuilding.
The fight takes place after a long layoff for Murtazaliev, who has not boxed in more than a year, but Kelly is not reading much into that. He knows what the champion brings when he is healthy, and he knows there is little margin for error.
If Kelly cannot stay upright against a puncher like Murtazaliev, none of the rest will matter.
