Murtazaliev Hopes To Shine In Their High-Stakes Orlando Matchup Against Tszyu

By stopping Tim Tszyu on Saturday, October 19, Murtazaliev hopes to establish his reputation and set himself up for important 154-pound unification fights

Bakhram Murtazaliev, who is expected to have a breakthrough performance, hopes to beat Tim Tszyu in Orlando / Bill Tompkins/Getty Images.

By Miriam Onyango

On this Saturday, October 19, in Orlando, Florida, the Caribe Royale Resort will host ten fights on the undercard of Tim Tszyu vs. Bakhram Murtazaliev. Watching this card on Prime Video will offer a lot of entertainment for enthusiasts.

Murtazaliev (22-0, 16 KOs), the IBF 154-pound champion, will have the chance to raise his profile by stopping the well-known Tszyu and setting himself up for more significant opposition. Winning over Tszyu will keep Murtazaliev focused on unification contests even though it might not automatically lead to a fight with Terence Crawford or Errol Spence.

Tszyu, who hasn't faced anyone quite like this in his eight-year career, might find Murtazaliev's strength and combo punching to be too much.

Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs), the former junior middleweight champion of the WBO, is making a comeback after falling to Sebastian Fundora via 12-round split decision on March 30. It didn't seem good for Tszyu to lose to the 6'6" Fundora. The cut Tszyu received in the second round contributed to his loss, but it wasn't the only factor. Fundora's youth, height, reach, and loud volume proved too much for him to handle.

“He doesn’t have that profile and push back like Tszyu did when he got here [to the U.S]. Murtazaliev is still looking to generate that curiosity. That’s why people are overlooking Murtazaliev. He’s a solid fighter, and he’s gotten himself some good wins,” ” said Paulie Malignaggi in media reports.

In particular in the United States, Murtazaliev, 31, will become more well-known globally if he defeats Tszyu and looks good doing it.

“The Culcay win is low-key impressive. This [Tszyu] is the fight that if he can get the win, it’s a big moment in his career, and he can be appreciated for a win like this. He’s got the IBF title. So, he’s fighting Tszyu, who gives him a bit of a profile if he wins the fight,” continued Malignaggi about Murtazaliev.

“A heavy knockdown and a memorable comeback. @KostyaTszyu climbs off the canvas to halt an upset-minded Hugo Pineda at Parramatta Stadium — 25 years today. #ozboxing #boxing,” reposted Kostya Tszyu on his X account.