IBF Orders Jermell Charlo to Face Bakhram Murtazaliev Next
Unified junior middleweight champion Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo (35-2-1, 19KO) may soon make his return to the ring. The IBF has ordered a title defense against the #1 ranked mandatory challenger, Bakhram Murtazaliev (21-0, 15KO).
As reported by Fight Freaks Unite, the governing body has given both teams until November 9 to reach an agreement, or a purse bid will be initiated. It’s worth noting that the IBF had previously tried to interfere with Charlo’s quest for undisputed status in 2021 by ordering a fight against the Russian challenger.
Murtazaliev, who dominated every round in a 2022 matchup against Jose Valenzuela, has been patiently waiting for his opportunity to fight for the title this year.
On the other hand, Charlo faced criticism for his underwhelming performance against undisputed super middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez on September 30. Following his second career loss, he even called out two-divisional undisputed champion Terence Crawford, which further ruffled feathers within the boxing community.
Despite Murtazaliev not being a widely recognized name in the sport, a decisive victory could potentially help Charlo regain some favor among fans who were disappointed with his last outing.
As both teams navigate the next steps, it will be intriguing to gauge the reaction of the boxing community to this news.
3Kings Boxing will continue to closely follow this developing story and provide further updates.
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