Bakhram Murtazaliev vs. Josh Kelly | DAZN - 31 January 2026

[Stobbo]

Has anyone eaten at Kelly's food truck?

Never knew he had one

[Taansend]

Has anyone eaten at Kelly's food truck?

Never knew he had one

I read an article a few years ago that he had a BBQ food truck in somewhere like Essex that was doing really well.

Or....

I did some thc gummies & dreamt that Josh Kelly had a BBQ food truck in somewhere like Essex that was doing really well.

[Taansend]

5 weeks away & no mention of an undercard yet......

[Ruthless-RKO]

Get a move on eddeh!!!

[mickey1975]

Atang is on and Brad Casey. I'm going.

[SeanBrennan]

Anyone know how long he’s been with Matchroom? I’m out the loop I didn’t know he’d left whoever was putting the channel 5 gig on (Kalle?)

[Ruthless-RKO]

Josh Padley gets title shot against Jaouad Belmehdi on January 31

and’s Josh Padley could win his first major professional title when he takes on Frenchman Jaouad Belmehdi for the vacant European junior lightweight championship on January 31 at the Newcastle Arena. The contest was today confirmed by Matchroom Boxing on social media as an addition to the Bakhram Murtazaliev-Josh Kelly bill.

The 27-year-old Belmehdi, 23-2-3 (11 KOs), will be returning after an August 2025 12-round points defeat to Can Xu in China, though British fans might remember him for lasting just 35 seconds with Gary Scully inside Wembley Arena three years ago.

This fight represents 30-year-old Padley’s second tilt over the championship distance. The first, when a late substitute, saw him stopped in nine rounds by Shakur Stevenson last February. The courageous nature of his effort to upset the revered Stevenson saw him rewarded with a contract from Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom.

Since then, the 17-1 (5 KOs) Padley has stopped Marko Cventanovic in five rounds and outpointed Reece Bellotti over 10. He will be a healthy favourite to make it three wins in a row against Belmehdi.

[Kilburn]

It’s not quite the level of ominous feeling you might have had before a Brit v Golovkin / Kovalev / Beterbiev fight, but it’s not far off. Glad Kelly is at home, really hope he does well.

Hopefully the Tszyu win flatters Bakhram somewhat.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Women's lightweight champ Elif Nur Turhan to defend title on Jan. 31

Women's IBF lightweight champion Elif Nur Turhan will waste no time getting back in the ring in 2026, with her first title defence against Taylah Gentzen set for Jan. 31 in Newcastle, England.

The fight will be be on the undercard of Bakhram Murtzaliev's junior middleweight title fight against Josh Kelly.

Matchroom's Nur Turhan (12-0, 8 KOs) had a standout year in 2025, winning all three of her fights by knockout and claiming the IBF strap with a Round 8 KO over Beatriz Ferreira in December.

The Turkish fighter announced herself on the world stage with the win over Ferreira with her speed and power making for a devastating win in Monaco.

Less than a month later, the 30-year-old will defend her belt for the first time against Australian Gentzen (8-1, 3 KOs).

An impressive 12 months saw Nur Turhan come in at No. 10 in ESPN's top women's boxers of the year for 2025, while she also broke into ESPN's pound-for-pound list for the first time, also at No.10 in January.

Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn, who also confirmed a multi-year extension with Nur Turhan, said a unification bout with Caroline Dubois is top of the wish list.

"Elif is the hardest female puncher, pound-for-pound, no question -- in fact, she is one of the fiercest fighters on the planet today," Hearn said.

"I'm thrilled to have signed Elif to a new Matchroom deal because there are many huge nights waiting for her. I think a fight with WBC World Champion, Caroline Dubois, is one of the best bouts you can make in boxing."

Dubois has told ESPN she wants to fight WBO champion Terri Harper in the first quarter of 2026 before pushing on in a bid to become undisputed champion.

[MPW]

It’s not quite the level of ominous feeling you might have had before a Brit v Golovkin / Kovalev / Beterbiev fight, but it’s not far off. Glad Kelly is at home, really hope he does well.

Hopefully the Tszyu win flatters Bakhram somewhat.

Outside of the Culcay bout in Germany which was close on the cards when stopped, Murtazaliev really hasn't been pushed in any fight, although he hasn't exactly faced a murderer's row of SWWs. The bouts that went the distance were all wide UDs, so it seems he's just not a wrecking ball but has some boxing ability.

My two cents' worth: I think Kelly will look great for the first three or four rounds, but the big question will be, how long can he continue to fight that way? I think the Russian will take over in the middle rounds and, when the end comes, it will come quickly.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Josh Kelly Feels Many 'Are Really Underrating Me' In Bakhram Murtazaliev Fight

Josh Kelly wouldn’t go as far as to label Bakhram Murtazaliev overrated.

The unbeaten IBF junior middleweight champ’s upcoming opponent does sense, though, that he has been undervalued as they advance toward their 12-round, 154-pound title fight January 31. DraftKings lists Murtazaliev as a 4-1 favorite, but Kelly thinks the disrespect extends well beyond oddsmakers.

“I think a lot of people are really, really underrating me,” Kelly told The Ring. “People haven’t seen me full potential yet, but [they’re] underrating how good I am. And I’m gonna show you, Bakhram. And I’m gonna show everyone else.”

England’s Kelly, 31, has won seven consecutive fights, all at or near the junior middleweight limit, since Russia’s David Avanesyan stopped the 2016 Olympian in the sixth round of their 12-round welterweight bout in February 2021 in London. Kelly (17-1-1, 9 KOs) hasn’t faced anyone as good as Murtazaliev (23-0, 17 KOs) since Avanesyan overpowered him, but the confident Brit believes he is a more skillful fighter than the champion.

“He’s a world-graded fighter,” Kelly said. “He’s got world-grade power. Every fighter needs to have that element to them to … compete at world level. I think I’ve got more elements in my game, which take out his sort of world-class elements. But we’re gonna see it all play out on fight night.”

Russia’s Murtazaliev, 33, will end a 15-month layoff when he encounters Kelly in a main event DAZN is set to stream from Utilita Arena in Newcastle, England. Murtazaliev brutalized Tim Tszyu throughout his last fight in October 2024 in Orlando, Florida, where he dropped the former WBO champ four times on his way to a third-round technical knockout.

“A lotta people [mention Murtazaliev’s] punch power, but I punch hard, and I punch fast,” Kelly said. “And what you can’t see coming is the shots that will hurt you, not necessarily the hard shots all the time. If you look at journeymen, they go through their career, and they’re not really getting stopped because they’re able to take hard shots, because they see them coming.”

Regardless, Kelly is eager to test himself against one of his division’s most formidable fighters.

The Ring ranks Murtazaliev fourth among its contenders for an unclaimed championship. Kelly isn’t in The Ring’s Top 10, but he is the mandatory challenger for Murtazaliev’s IBF belt.

“I’m willing to go against the odds,” Kelly said. “A hundred percent, I’m willing to go against the odds. I take people’s zeroes off ‘em, so I’m not fussed. I’m in there, I know what I’ve gotta deal with, I know how to deal with it and I’m gonna enjoy it on fight night, and the big nights are coming after that.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Kilburn]

It’s not quite the level of ominous feeling you might have had before a Brit v Golovkin / Kovalev / Beterbiev fight, but it’s not far off. Glad Kelly is at home, really hope he does well.

Hopefully the Tszyu win flatters Bakhram somewhat.

Outside of the Culcay bout in Germany which was close on the cards when stopped, Murtazaliev really hasn't been pushed in any fight, although he hasn't exactly faced a murderer's row of SWWs. The bouts that went the distance were all wide UDs, so it seems he's just not a wrecking ball but has some boxing ability.

My two cents' worth: I think Kelly will look great for the first three or four rounds, but the big question will be, how long can he continue to fight that way? I think the Russian will take over in the middle rounds and, when the end comes, it will come quickly.

So maybe a Golovkin v Brook sort of scenario, but a bit more subtle.

[MPW]

It’s not quite the level of ominous feeling you might have had before a Brit v Golovkin / Kovalev / Beterbiev fight, but it’s not far off. Glad Kelly is at home, really hope he does well.

Hopefully the Tszyu win flatters Bakhram somewhat.

Outside of the Culcay bout in Germany which was close on the cards when stopped, Murtazaliev really hasn't been pushed in any fight, although he hasn't exactly faced a murderer's row of SWWs. The bouts that went the distance were all wide UDs, so it seems he's just not a wrecking ball but has some boxing ability.

My two cents' worth: I think Kelly will look great for the first three or four rounds, but the big question will be, how long can he continue to fight that way? I think the Russian will take over in the middle rounds and, when the end comes, it will come quickly.

So maybe a Golovkin v Brook sort of scenario, but a bit more subtle.

And hopefully without the broken orbital bone.

[Ruthless-RKO]

IN 2 WEEKS.

[Taansend]

Is Kelly beating Murtazaliev a bigger upset than Smith stopping Matias?

[MPW]

Is Kelly beating Murtazaliev a bigger upset than Smith stopping Matias?

To me, it would depend upon how he wins. If he stops him, yes. If he wins a controversial spilt decision, no.

[Taansend]

Is Kelly beating Murtazaliev a bigger upset than Smith stopping Matias?

To me, it would depend upon how he wins. If he stops him, yes. If he wins a controversial spilt decision, no.

What about a clear points win?

[Kilburn]

It could be regarded as a bigger upset either way, given Kelly has already lost and drawn before, while Murtazaliev is unbeaten.

How do the betting odds compare?

[MPW]

Is Kelly beating Murtazaliev a bigger upset than Smith stopping Matias?

To me, it would depend upon how he wins. If he stops him, yes. If he wins a controversial spilt decision, no.

What about a clear points win?

Yes, a clear points win would be comparable to Smith's win, maybe even a smidge bigger.

[mickey1975]

To me, it would depend upon how he wins. If he stops him, yes. If he wins a controversial spilt decision, no.

What about a clear points win?

Yes, a clear points win would be comparable to Smith's win, maybe even a smidge bigger.

He won't get the same credit, though. Away from home. New York, RSC, looks great.

[Taansend]

He won't get the same credit, though. Away from home. New York, RSC, looks great.

He will from me, Mickey, and that's what matters most to young Josh.

All the money, fame & belts mean nothing to him without the approval of Taansend

[Ruthless-RKO]

MURTAZALIEV-KELLY WINNER COULD BE NEXT FOR JARON ENNIS AS VERGIL ORTIZ DEAL HITS WALL


Matchroom Boxing head Eddie Hearn doesn’t plan on dilly-dallying around much longer to get a deal done for a fight between Jaron Ennis and Vergil Ortiz.

Hearn also has a contingency plan in place to march forward with backup options.

By the end of Saturday, the 154-pound title picture will take shape when Bakhram Murtazaliev defends his IBF title against Josh Kelly on a Hearn-promoted show in the United Kingdom. Separately, WBO champion Xander Zayas and WBA beltholder Abass Baraou will look to unify their championship belts in Puerto Rico, headlining a Top Rank show.

Hearn took the microphone Saturday on DAZN, the streaming service for which he wants to deliver Ennis (35-0, 31 KOs) vs. Ortiz (24-0, 22 KOs), offering an update on what the immediate future holds for the snakebitten bout.

“The deal has been discussed for the last three months. Obviously, we've seen the disagreement and fallout between Golden Boy and Vergil Ortiz. That's for them to sort out. We just want to make the fight. Sometimes when it blows up like that, the fight gets made. Sometimes it just falls apart,” said Hearn.

On January 16, Ortiz filed a lawsuit to terminate his promotional agreement with Golden Boy.

Prior to the lawsuit, Ortiz promoter Oscar De La Hoya demanded a 60-40 split and said Hearn was pigeonholing and begging on Ennis' behalf.

Team Ortiz also claimed it could move on to fight Errol Spence and Sebastian Fundora rather than Ennis. Hearn clapped back and questioned De La Hoya’s motives.

“There are other routes for both fighters, to be honest with you,” said Hearn. “But what we want to give the fans is one of the best fights in American boxing with two guys in their absolute prime. That's our job as a promotional company, and platform in DAZN, to deliver that fight.

“Next week we have Kelly fighting Murtazaliev for the world title. Kelly is already signed to fight Boots. If he pulls that off — a massive victory for British boxing — you could even see Kelly fight Boots next, or maybe Murtazaliev [faces Ennis] if he gets the win.

"Zayas fights next week against Baraou, too. There are options. I just feel that Vergil and Boots are No. 1 and No. 2 right now, and that's what we want to see. We'll do everything we can. We are so committed to that fight. We hope it gets made.”

[MPW]

Some things at SWW should shake out next Saturday. Barring unforeseen circumstances, we'll have a unified WBO-WBA champion (winner of Zayas and Baraou) and some clarity with the IBF belt (winner of Murtazaliev and Kelly), while Fundora awaits his next opponent in defense of the WBC belt, but the illustrious IBO title remains vacant.

Regardless of what Ennis and Ortiz Jr. eventually do, there is the potential for entertaining fights between the likes of Madrimov, Adams, Bohachuk (although Zuffa Boxing reportedly doesn't do SWW), Katzourakis, Samake, Silva, Souslin, Tellez, Prat, and several others. There could be a lot of high-level action in the division over the next year or so.

[mickey1975]

Atang should get rounds on this.