The January 31 clash between Josh Kelly and Bakhram Murtazaliev for the IBF super-welterweight world title will now be joined by another championship bout, strengthening an already stacked night in Newcastle, as women’s IBF lightweight champion Elif Nur Turhan will make the first defense of her title on the undercard.
Kelly’s long road back to world-level contention has culminated in a home-soil title shot against Murtazaliev. Once tipped for the top after representing Team GB at the Rio 2016 Olympics, Kelly saw his momentum halted by a knockout loss to David Avanesyan. Since then, he has rebuilt impressively, stringing together seven straight wins to earn his first opportunity at a world crown.
Turhan’s inclusion adds further intrigue. She claimed the IBF lightweight title just last month with a knockout victory over Beatriz Ferreira in Monaco and now returns quickly to face Australia’s Taylah Gentzen. Promoter Eddie Hearn has voiced confidence that the in-form champion will again end matters early, calling her one of the fiercest punchers in the sport.
The bout also marks the beginning of a new multi-fight agreement between Turhan and Matchroom Boxing, with Hearn already eyeing a future unification against WBC lightweight champion Caroline Dubois. He described Turhan as the hardest-hitting female fighter pound-for-pound and a central figure in Matchroom’s plans going forward.
Beyond the two world title fights, the card also features Josh Padley challenging Jaouad Belmehdi for the European title, along with an appearance from highly rated heavyweight prospect Leo Atang.
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