IBF junior champion Bakhram Murtazaliev (22-0, 16 KOs) (22-0, 16 KOs) is confident he will dispatch former 154 lb belt Tim Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs) to his second consecutive defeat this Saturday, October 19 in his fight at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida. The fight will be shown live on PBC Championship Boxing on Prime Video Action.
Former WBO 154lb champion Tszyu, 29, is facing arguably the biggest puncher of his eight-year career, taking on Grozny’s unbeaten Russian-born Murtazaliev, and this fight comes at the worst possible time for the Aussies. Murtazaliev is a great puncher who throws in combinations and is dangerous. He is like a power version of Dmitry Bivol but more willing to engage. He is not a runner.
In Tszyu’s last fight, he was dethroned by Sebastian ‘The Towering Inferno’ Fundora, losing a 12-round split decision on March 30. Tszyu’s confidence might be at an all-time low after that defeat because his loss was not due to the cut he received. He was beaten by the best fighter, Fundora, and had no answers to his size advantage.
“I am very confident that I will win this fight, but it is all about fate,” Bakhram Murtazaliev told Jai McAllister. channeldiscussing his title defense against Tim Tszyu on Saturday.
“He was a world champion, and this puts him at a high level. There are many of them. I will show you in the fight,” Murtazaliev said when asked if there are any weaknesses in Tszyu’s game. “After I’m done with this fight, I hope for a Unification.”
If Murtazaliev defeats Tszyu on Saturday, it could permanently derail his career. It will be almost impossible for Tszyu to come back from this defeat to be one of the main players at 154.
“We have prepared for 12 rounds. There are no problems. One round, ten rounds, or twelve rounds,” Murtazaliev said about his prediction for his title defense against Tszyu. “It’s going to be very exciting and fun to watch. It’s going to be a very good fight.”
Murtazaliev vs Tszyu is written all over, because both guys can punch and will go for a stoppage. Tszyu won’t be able to get hit as often by Murtazaliev as he was in his loss to Fundora last March. Murtazaliev is a much bigger puncher and will cut him down and force a stoppage.
“I don’t care. As long as I’m alive, that’s all that matters,” Murtazaliev said when asked about his thoughts on Tszyu being the A-side in his fight promotion.
