Kelly has been quietly rebuilding his career since being stopped by David Avanesyan in 2021. He has had seven straight fights since then, at the junior middleweight limit, earning his spot as Murtazaliev’s challenger. He did not face one of this situation at that time, but he believes that his skill gave him a chance to interfere with the most expected thing to happen.
That’s what makes this fight different. Murtazaliev is the toughest opponent Kelly has faced since Avanesyan, and he’s coming off a performance that shows how people see him.
Murtazaliev last fought in October, when he stopped Tim Tszyu in three rounds, dropping him repeatedly in a performance that signaled his arrival at the top of the division. It was brutal and one-sided, and has remained in the background of all discussions about this fight ever since.
Kelly knows what that reputation brings, and he believes that it has lowered the fight’s judgment.
Murtazaliev doesn’t need to win rounds to hurt you, which is what Kelly will be dealing with from the opening bell. The Russian’s style is built on weight and power rather than speed, and he has shown that he can take fights out of control.
Kelly understands the danger and what may happen to him, because a death blow here will undo four years of rebuilding.
The fight comes after a long layoff for Murtazaliev, who hasn’t fought in over a year, but Kelly isn’t reading too much into that. He knows what a champion can bring when he’s healthy, and he knows there’s very little room for error.
If Kelly can’t stand up against a puncher like Murtazaliev, no one else will.