Kelly will be fighting for a world title for the first time when he challenges Murtazaliev for the IBF junior middleweight title on DAZN. While the bout has been set for some time, the circumstances around it have shifted, with Murtazaliev entering the fight after a 15-month absence from the ring.
How much sharpness Murtazaliev brings after that gap is the one unknown Kelly is clearly betting on.
Murtazaliev is a heavy puncher and holds a clear advantage in power. Kelly, a 2016 Olympian, learned in his 2021 loss to David Avanesyan that trading in close with pressure fighters is not an option for him. His path requires movement, distance, and control. If Murtazaliev is going to score a knockout, he will have to track Kelly down rather than wait for exchanges.
The two will headline a 12-round fight on January 31 at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle, England. It is Kelly’s hometown, and the crowd support should be firmly behind him. He will need that energy to stay disciplined and mobile against a fighter who applies steady pressure.
In Murtazaliev’s last fight, he stopped former WBO junior middleweight champion Tim Tszyu in October 2024, knocking him down four times before ending the bout in the third round. Earlier that year, he won the IBF title with an 11th-round knockout of Jack Culcay.
Murtazaliev carries knockout power in both hands and uses a stiff jab to close distance. Since the Tszyu win, he has not been pursued by the top names at 154, despite holding a major belt. Instead of landing a high-profile unification or voluntary defense, he now returns against Kelly.
Kelly’s advantages are hand speed, mobility, and ring awareness rather than power. Since the Avanesyan loss, he has won seven straight fights and generally boxed with control. The concern remains stamina. When forced to work at a high pace under sustained pressure, Kelly has shown signs of fading.
Fan expectation has leaned heavily toward a one-sided outcome for Murtazaliev, based largely on Kelly’s struggles against Avanesyan. The question now is whether the layoff dulls Murtazaliev’s timing enough for Kelly’s movement to matter, or whether the power gap ends the discussion early.
Olly Campbell has been covering boxing since 2014, offering readers a clear ringside perspective and thoughtful analysis on many of the sport’s biggest nights. His work focuses on fighter tendencies, corner adjustments, and the technical details that shape high-level bouts. Over the years, Olly has reported on major cards in Las Vegas, New York, London, and across the UK boxing circuit, earning a reputation for levelheaded, detail-driven coverage.