Bakhram Murtazaliev Vs. Erikson Rubin: IBF Title Defense for the Works for the Fall Showdown

Promoters for IBF junior middleweight champion Bakuram Murtazaliev are negotiating a fight with his mandatory challenger Erikson Rubin later this year.

Lance Pagmia Report Murtazaliev initially planned to get an exception to face Josh Kelly to delay Lubin (27-2, 19 Kos)’s title defense, but that was impossible. For our fans, it’s not much of an interest in the Murtazariev and Kelly clash, so it’s good that the fight isn’t happening. It would be perceived as a discrepancy in favour of Bakram.

Rubin’s title tracking

Rubin, 29, has been driving Murtazaliev (23-0, 17 Kos) title fight since knocking out Ardeal Holmes Jr. on May 10th. He’s vocal about wanting a legitimate title shot against the IBF champion, and now it looks like it’s going to happen.

Murtazaliev promoter Kathy Duva also hoped he had attempted a fight against WBC interim 154 pound champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. Turki Alalshikh. Ortiz Jr. did not wish to take it due to the IBF’s 10-pound combat period rehydration rules. That would have been a problem for him. Interestingly, Vergil Jr. moved to 154 in 2024. He hasn’t been in the junior middleweight division for many years. He arrived exactly a year ago.

Rubin won his final three fights since being suspended in the ninth round in 2022 by Sebastian Fandra. The battle was a war with Erickson in the third round.

Erixon suffered from a gross swelling and was beaten too much to allow him to continue. Rubin’s other career defeat came against Jermel Charolo when he was knocked out in the first round on October 14th, 2017.

Bakulam looked like a beast in his final battle, knocking out former WBO 154-pound champion Tim Ziu in the third round on October 19, 2024. Murtazariev dropped three times in the second round and one in the third.