Eddie Hearn announced three major fights for 2026 today, with Raymond Muratalla defending his IBF lightweight title against Andy Cruz on January 24th and IBF junior middleweight champion Bakhram Muratalla facing Josh Jelly on January 31st being the most notable of them.
Hearn’s 2026 Slate Drops
The other, slightly less compelling, is a unification match between WBO super featherweight champion Emanuel Navarrete and IBF champion Eduardo Nunez, scheduled for February 28, 2026, at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, USA.
What some would say is the gem of the three is the 2020 Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz (6-0, 3 KOs) challenging Raymond Muratalla (23-0, 17 KOs) for his IBF lightweight title on January 24, 2026, at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas in Nevada.
Cruz signed with Matchroom after turning pro in 2023, and they’ve rapidly guided him to a world title in only his seventh fight in the professional ranks. It would have been a lot quicker, but the champions and top contenders have avoided Cruz like the plague, avoiding mentioning his name and wanting no part in fighting him.
The Top Rank-promoted Muratalla, 28, likely would have put Cruz on the ‘who needs him club’ if the IBF hadn’t ordered the fight on October 2, 2025, leaving him with no choice but to defend against him or lose the belt.
Interestingly, Muratalla could have defended against Cruz on the November 22nd card in eight days if he had agreed to a deal. Turki Alalshikh reportedly had wanted the Muratalla-Cruz fight to be part of The Ring IV card, but Muratalla didn’t agree to the agreement. Cruz’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, believes Raymond would have made more money if he’d defended against Andy on the card.
“This is the moment I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid. Raymond Muratalla is a great fighter, but I believe I’m on another level. I’ve sacrificed everything to get here, and that’s why I came to the United States to make history in the best boxing in the world. On fight night, the world will see the real Andy Cruz and why I’m ready to become a World Champion,” said Cruz.
Kelly’s Risky Gamble
Josh ‘Pretty Boy’ Kelly (17-1-1, 9 KOs) is taking a risky fight against the IBF junior middleweight champion Bakhram Murtazaliev (23-0, 17 KOs) at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena in Newcastle.
Although Kelly, 31, will enjoy home country advantage, he’s over his head in this fight, going up against what many boxing fans view as the boogeyman of the division, Murataliev. It’s going to take a miracle performance for Kelly to win.
Josh hasn’t fought at this level in his eight-year career. When he stepped up against fringe welterweight contender David Avanesyan, he was knocked out in the sixth round on February 20, 2021.