Eddie Hearn Believes Josh Kelly Can Beat Bakhram Murtazaliev

Eddie Hearn remains confident that Josh Kelly can defeat Bakhram Murtazaliev when they meet for the IBF junior middleweight title on January 31.

The fight will headline a DAZN card in Newcastle and place Kelly in with one of the most avoided champions in the 154 lb division. Murtazaliev holds the IBF belt and has developed a reputation as a high-risk opponent with limited commercial upside, a combination that has kept him largely inactive despite his championship status.

Hearn acknowledged that Murtazaliev is not widely known outside core boxing circles but stressed that unfamiliarity should not be mistaken for vulnerability. He described the bout as one of the strongest world title fights staged in Britain in recent years and said Kelly has the ability to rise to the occasion.

Murtazaliev last fought in October 2024, when he stopped former champion Tim Tszyu in three rounds. The performance was decisive and one-sided, built around sustained pressure and power shots that steadily broke Tszyu down. Since then, Murtazaliev has not returned to the ring, a gap that Hearn has cited as a possible variable heading into the fight.

Kelly enters with 18 professional bouts and has spent the last several years rebuilding after his knockout loss to David Avanesyan in 2021. He has shown improved discipline, movement, and ring control since that defeat, but his recent wins have come against opposition that did not replicate the type of pressure or physical threat Murtazaliev brings.

While Kelly is currently ranked highly by the WBO, his alternative championship routes offer limited upside. A potential fight with Xander Zayas would present stylistic challenges without a significant financial reward, while other titleholders at junior middleweight do not provide clearer or safer opportunities. At 31, Kelly has little incentive to wait for a more favorable situation that may never arrive.

Hearn has also pointed to the long-term incentives attached to the risk. According to the promoter, a victory over Murtazaliev would position Kelly for a high-profile fight against Jaron Ennis, with preliminary terms already discussed. Kelly and trainer Adam Booth accepted the Murtazaliev fight with a clear understanding of both the danger involved and the opportunities that could follow.

From a strategic standpoint, the fight represents a calculated gamble. Murtazaliev’s inactivity creates uncertainty, but his last performance set a level that Kelly has not previously matched. The margin for error is narrow, and the physical demands of dealing with sustained pressure over championship rounds remain unanswered.

If Murtazaliev is anywhere near his form against Tszyu, Kelly is heading toward a knockout loss.