Both Murtazaliev and Adams have accepted their positions in writing, and negotiations are expected to begin, Rafael reports. The winner will take on the mandatory challenger to reigning IBF junior middleweight champion Josh Kelly.
The reshuffle follows the collapse of a previous tiebreaker involving Agyarko and Adams. The two were due to meet on April 11 before Adams pulled out the day before the fight after suffering chest pains and being rushed to the hospital.
That left the IBF needing a new route to establish another challenger. The sanctioning body then turned to Agyarko against former title holder Murtazaliev, but without a confirmed acceptance, it has now moved on to the next available pairing.
For Agyarko, it’s a step back in a crowded division where title chances can quickly disappear. Whether the problem was a rejected fight, a missed deadline or a different work schedule, the practical outcome is the same. The IBF has moved on without him.
The order gives Murtzaliev a clear chance to fight his way back into contention after losing the belt. Adams, on the other hand, gets another opening after his April withdrawal ended one stop before the first bell.
Tough matchup for Brandon Adams. While his 99-91, 98-92 victory over Serhii Bohachuk last September proved he can still win high volume boxing, Bakhram Murtazaliev is a much tougher puzzle to solve.
Murtazaliev is a heavy hitter, a fighter who thrives in the fence style. Adams usually relies on running guys in that pack, but Bakhram has the Russian’s strength and power to make that a nightmare.
Kelly played it safe, using that offense to scramble and move, until he finished with a majority decision (115-111, 114-113, 113-113) that many felt could have easily gone the other way. Murtazaliev’s team even petitioned the IBF for a 10-10 draw in the 12th round.
It’s hard to blame Caoimhin Agyarko for looking elsewhere. He’s navigated the domestic rankings decently, but was let down in his win over Ishmael Davis last September and struggled at times against Ryan Kelly.
Going from Troy Williamson and Ishmael Davis to Murtazaliev is a big jump in class. Agyarko has never shown the world-class power needed to keep a bulldozer like Bakhram out of him for 12 rounds.
Adams is 36 and coming off a health scare, collapsing before the first weigh-in with Agyarko earlier this month, which adds another layer of risk to this matchup. If he steps into the ring against a puncher of Murtazaliev’s caliber without being 100% physically, it could be a short night.
