Josh Kelly drops Bakhram Murtazaliev on his way to becoming Sunderland’s first world champion
Super Six – Sunderland’s Josh Kelly (18-1-1, 9 KOs) becomes the sixth British world champion after dropping and defeating Bakhram Murtazaliev (23-1, 17 KOs), ruining the Russian’s record.
Britain’s Josh Kelly outpointed Russian champion Bakhram Murtazaliev to win the IBF super-welterweight title in Newcastle.
The Sunderland fighter was floored in the ninth round by the powerful punching Russian Murtazaliev with two further stumbles late on ruled as slips by the referee.
Kelly took the special victory with one judge marking the bout 115-111 in his favour and another grading it 114-113, the third calling it a 113-113 draw.
“PBK” not only became the first person to defeat Murtazaliev, but also the first man to drop him, which he did with a quick, clever jab that the champion walked right onto.
The 31-year-old Brit is Sunderland’s first world champion, and told BBC Radio 5 Live afterwards: “It feels like a dream. I envisioned this.
“I had to concentrate – I feel overwhelmed. I need to take a second backstage to gather myself. I’m mentally exhausted,” the new world champion said.
Kelly’s eighth straight win since a first professional defeat to David Avanesyan in February 2021 takes the number of current male British world champions to six.
He joins compatriots Fabio Wardley (heavyweight), Lewis Crocker (welterweight), Jazza Dickens (super-featherweight), Nick Ball (featherweight) and Dalton Smith (super-lightweight) in holding gold.
“Pretty Boy”, who is trained by Adam Booth, sent Murtazaliev crashing to the mat in the fourth round with a vicious left hand and winked as his rival clambered to his feet.
Knockout specialist Murtazaliev – whose defeat was his first in 23 bouts – dished out a venomous left hand of his own to topple Kelly in the ninth round, but was outmanoeuvred by the home boxer, who even took time for a bit of showboating in the final stretch.
Super-welterweight World Champions
IBF: Josh Kelly
WBA/WBO: Xander Zayas
WBC: Sebastian Fundora
IBO: Vacant
