It was a night of endless drama for Josh Kelly on Saturday in Newcastle. And a few dreams and fairytales thrown in for good measure.
He started as a big underdog in his world-title fight against the unbeaten Bakhram Murtazaliev; he finished exhausted, bruised and the new IBF super-welterweight champion. It was a win that few outside of Kelly’s tight circle believed would happen. Murtazaliev and his experienced crew thought it was an easy night and, at the end, the fallen champion looked confused more than upset that he had just lost his title.
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There was a half-hearted attempt to call the decision a “disgrace”, but that is now standard in every fight that goes the full 12 rounds. It was the right verdict.
The result does not the tell the full story of the dramatic fight, or the slick and brave tactics Kelly needed to win and avoid becoming victim No 24 on Murtazaliev’s record. The Chechen, who is based in California, had stopped his last two opponents in world-title fights but had not competed for 14 months; the inactivity was not an excuse before the first bell, but it did look like an issue in the fight.
It was not always pretty, but it was always entertaining. They were both dropped and both had spells under heavy pressure. In many ways, it was a perfect performance from Kelly – a smart display of sensible boxing with just the right amount of risk.
The action in Kelly’s corner during the breaks for the last five or six rounds was critical in keeping the boxer under control; Adam Booth, his trainer, read the riot act a few times, warned about losing concentration, and was especially inspirational at the end of the ninth when Kelly had been dropped heavily.
Kelly dropped Murtazaliev en route to a dramatic victory in Newcastle (Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing)
Murtazaliev entered the ring having bludgeoned his way to the IBF world title, and with a fearsome and justified reputation as both a heavy puncher and a serious pressure fighter. The simple pre-fight calculation was harsh: Kelly would start fast, inevitably fade, and need rescuing in about 10 rounds.
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Kelly dropped Murtazaliev in round four, was in clear control for a few rounds, then was badly hurt and dropped in the ninth round. He survived the remaining 90 seconds to the bell.
The last three rounds were close and, at the final bell, Kelly got the majority nod. Two judges went for him, a third had it a draw. It seemed right, not a scandal, just a tight fight. Not all tight decisions are robberies or dreadful verdicts; the chorus of relentless criticism of just about every verdict in a title fight is boring.
Kelly, 31, joined five other British boxers holding a variety of world-title belts and has a lot of fun options going forward. He could fight the other champions at his weight and also try and entice Conor Benn, who was in New York at the weekend and was challenged by Shakur Stevenson. There is no doubting that Benn is operating at an elite level of awareness, sharing photo opportunities with the very best at the moment.
Kelly survived adversity, climbing off the canvas at one point (Dave Thompson Matchroom Boxing)
Benn is in demand, but has still never won a world title. He is looking at the various options available at welterweight, and a fight with Kelly makes sense – in part because they are both promoted by Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom. Benn fought Chris Eubank Jr twice at middleweight (160lb) in 2025, insists he will drop back to welterweight (147lb), but a stop at super-welterweight (154lb) would fit perfectly.
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Kelly, a Sunderland fan, now wants an outdoor fight at the Stadium of Light, which is both understandable and possible. At the post-fight press conference, Matchroom’s Frank Smith said: “[The club] just texted. They said: ‘Club inviting Josh into the boardroom on Monday and let’s get the fight made there.’” “Shut up,” was Kelly’s response. “Jesus Christ. That’s crazy, man.”
On Saturday night, Kelly beat the division’s most-avoided fighter and that gives him a degree of credibility. Kelly has done it the hard way, against the odds and against a very good champion. A night out under the stars against Benn would be the biggest British fight, outside of the heavyweight division, that could be made this year.