IBF Orders Bakhram Murtazaliev vs. Brandon Adams Eliminator

Purse bid scheduled for May 27 as former champion Murtazaliev moves toward another title opportunity

The IBF has ordered a final eliminator between Brandon Adams and Bakhram Murtazaliev to determine the mandatory challenger for Josh Kelly’s junior middleweight title. A purse bid is scheduled for May 27 during the IBF convention in Vietnam.

Dan Rafael reported Monday that a purse bid has been scheduled for May 27 during the IBF annual convention in Ho Tram, Vietnam.

Murtazaliev (23-1, 17 KOs) is attempting to work his way back into title position after losing his IBF 154-pound title to Kelly by a 12-round majority decision on January 31 at Newcastle Arena in England. Some fans felt the decision was controversial, especially after Murtazaliev appeared to land the harder shots and was the aggressor throughout long stretches of the fight.

The 32-year-old has rebuilt momentum quickly since the defeat. Murtazaliev recently defeated Serhii Bohachuk by a wide 10-round unanimous decision in their rematch on the undercard of Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford on September 13, 2025.

Adams (36-5, 18 KOs) has also revived his career after suffering a loss to Andreas Katzourakis in 2024. The veteran pressure fighter bounced back with an upset win over Bohachuk in his last outing, showing a willingness to trade on the inside against one of the division’s more dangerous punchers.

That approach could create problems against Murtazaliev, who many fans view as an even heavier puncher than Bohachuk.

The eliminator adds another significant fight to a busy 154-pound division that already includes possible future fights involving Crawford, Errol Spence Jr., Tim Tszyu, Jaron Ennis, and Xander Zayas.

Adams has never been known as a defensive stylist, which makes the matchup dangerous against a pressure puncher like Murtazaliev. If Adams chooses to stand and exchange the way he did against Bohachuk, the fight could quickly turn into one of the division’s more physical battles.

Murtazaliev’s power and body punching have already caused serious problems for several contenders at 154 pounds.

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