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Bakhram Murtazaliev vs Tim Tszyu: Who Wins?

Originally posted on Fights Around The World
By Ryan O'Hara | Last updated 10/16/24

Former WBO light middleweight champion Tim Tszyu will look to return to prime form Saturday night in Orlando, Florida, when he takes on current IBF champion Bakhram Murtazaliev in a high-stakes fight.

Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs), 29, who is coming off a stunning upset loss to Sebastian Fundora in his last outing, was slated to fight Vergil Ortiz Jr. in August but was forced to withdraw as he still hadn’t recovered from his injuries sustained in the Fundora fight. That night, he suffered a horrific gash on his head after being on the receiving end of an accidental elbow that caused blood to stream down his face for virtually all 12 rounds of their contest. Now, with a clean bill of health, Tszyu is ready to resume his career and become a two-time world champion.

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Breaking Down Murtazaliev vs. Tszyu

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Forced to wait four years to prove his mettle, the unbeaten Murtazaliev (22-0, 16 KOs) struck gold on April 6 when he scored an 11th-round knockout of former title contender Jack Culcay to win the vacant IBF title. Murtazaliev, 31, a Russian native fighting out of Oxnard, California, like Tszyu, packs a punch, and both men possess styles that will likely trouble the other at points in the fight.

Murtazaliev, at 6’0”, has a considerable height advantage over the smaller Tszyu and has a good jab. Against Culcay, Murtazaliev showed that not only can he fight at range, but he can also trade on the inside. Furthermore, he has great hook combinations, which Culcay discovered to his detriment. However, we also saw that Murtazaliev doesn’t like getting hit to the body and is susceptible to fighters who can move. While Tszyu doesn’t have the best head movement, he has shown against fighters like Tony Harrison and Carlos Ocampo that he can effectively close the distance and cut off the ring. If the Aussie does get to the inside and forces Murtazaliev to fight his fight, that would tilt the outcome in his favor.

Tszyu, on the other hand, may have possibly learned a valuable lesson from the Fundora fight. Being a little reckless on the inside and too early, could bring disastrous results. Although the elbow from Fundora was accidental, he left himself exposed during the exchange, which essentially cost him his previously unblemished record. We should expect to see Tszyu’s same aggressive style but with improved defensive awareness.

This fight should be competitive. Murtazaliev could take the first handful of rounds behind his solid boxing skills, but once Tszyu gets into a rhythm and makes it a rough fight, expect the Aussie to get the best of those battles.