Bookmakers made Bakhram Murtazaliev a big favorite against Josh Kelly when they face off in their fight on Saturday 31st January 2026 at Utilita Arena, Newcastle, United Kingdom.
He is currently 2/7 (-340) to win the fight outright, while you can get 3/1 (+300) on Josh Kelly if you fancy the big upset.
That means that oddsmakers think there is 76% chance of Murtazaliev winning while giving Kelly a 24% chance.
Murtazaliev opened as the favorite at 2/7 (-340).
Kelly opened at 3/1 (+300).
The fight is scheduled for 12 rounds in the Super Welterweight division, which means both fighters will have to make the weight limit of 154 pounds (10.78 stones or 70 kg) on the day of the weigh-in.
This contest is for the IBF super welterweight championship of the world.
Murtazaliev vs Kelly Head To Head
Bakhram Murtazaliev steps into the ring with an undefeated record of 23 wins, zero losses, and 0 draws, 17 of those wins coming by way of knockout.
Josh Kelly will make his way to the ring with a record of 17 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw, with 9 of those wins by knockout.
The stats suggest Murtazaliev has a large advantage in power over Kelly, boasting a 74% knockout percentage compared to Kelly's 53%.
Bakhram Murtazaliev is the older man by 1 year, at 32 years old.
Murtazaliev has a height advantage of 2 inches over Kelly. Despite this, both fighters have equal reach.
Both Bakhram Murtazaliev and Josh Kelly fight out of an orthodox stance.
Murtazaliev is arguably the more experienced fighter, having had 4 more fights, and made his debut in 2014, 2 years and 10 months earlier than Kelly, whose first professional fight was in 2017. He has fought 23 fewer professional rounds, totaling 104 compared to Kelly's 127.
Bakhram Murtazaliev goes into the fight ranked number 4 by The Ring at super welterweight.
Josh Kelly is currently ranked number 1 by the WBO, and 3 by the IBF in the 154lb division.
Murtazaliev vs Kelly betting form
Murtazaliev remains undefeated as a professional, stopping 4 of his last 5 opponents.
In his last fight, he defeated Tim Tszyu on October 19, 2024, by technical knockout in the 3rd round in their IBF World Junior Middleweight championship fight at Caribe Royale Orlando, Orlando, United States. He was a 9/2 (+450) underdog going into the fight.
Prior to that, he had defeated Jack Culcay on April 6, 2024, by technical knockout in the 11th round in their IBF World Junior Middleweight championship fight at Stadthalle, Falkensee, Germany. He was a 1/4 (-370) favorite going into the fight.
Going into that contest, he had beaten Ahmad Cheikho on March 26, 2022, by technical knockout in the 1st round at Armory, Minnesota, United States.
Before that, he had won against Khiary Gray on July 17, 2021, by unanimous decision in their 8 round contest at AT&T Center, Texas.
He had beaten Manny Woods on September 26, 2020, by technical knockout in the 4th round at Mohegan Sun Casino, Connecticut.
Kelly has won 5 of his most recent fights, stopping 2 of them, going the distance 3 times.
In his last fight, he defeated Flavius Biea on June 6, 2025, by knockout in the 1st round at Newcastle Arena, Newcastle, United Kingdom.
Prior to that, he had defeated Ishmael Davis on September 21, 2024, by majority decision in their 12 round contest at Wembley Stadium, London. He was a 4/9 (-230) favorite going into the ring.
Going into that contest, he had won against Placido Ramirez on December 16, 2023, by knockout in the 3rd round at Beacon of Light, Sunderland. He was a 1/16 (-1700) favorite going into the ring.
Before that, he had defeated Gabriel Alberto Corzo on July 15, 2023, by unanimous decision in their 12 round contest at Vertu Motors Arena, Newcastle. He was a 1/12 (-1200) favorite going into the ring.
He had beaten Troy Williamson on December 2, 2022, by unanimous decision in their BBBOC British Super Welterweight championship fight at Utilita Arena, Newcastle. He was a 1/1 (+100) underdog going into the ring.
Who's been more active?
If you think ring rust and activity is a big factor in this fight, Josh Kelly has been fighting more than Bakhram Murtazaliev.
Bakhram Murtazaliev last fought 1 year, 3 months and 12 days ago, while Josh Kelly's last outing was 7 months and 25 days ago.
Murtazaliev's last 5 fights have come over a period of 5 years, 4 months and 5 days, which means he has been fighting approximately every 1 year and 25 days. In those fights, he fought a total of 27 rounds, meaning that they have lasted 5.4 rounds on average.
Kelly's last 5 fights have come over a period of 3 years, 1 month and 29 days, meaning he has been fighting on average every 7 months and 19 days. In those fights, he fought a total of 40 rounds, meaning that they have lasted 8 rounds on average.
What’s the Latest Time I Can Bet on Murtazaliev vs Kelly Pre Fight?
The fighters are expected to ringwalk at around 10:00 PM GMT at Utilita Arena, Newcastle, United Kingdom, which is 5:00 PM EST or 2:00 PM PST on the West Coast of America.
Where Can I Watch Murtazaliev vs Kelly for In-Play Betting?
The DAZN show is expected to begin at 1:00 PM EST / 10:00 AM PST. The DAZN Global broadcast of the card is expected to start at 6:00 PM (GTM).
