Former IBF junior middleweight champion Bakhram Murtazaliev has formally asked the International Boxing Federation to order an immediate rematch with Josh Kelly, citing an unusual scorecard entry in the final round of their title fight last weekend in England.
Murtazaliev lost his IBF 154 pound title by majority decision to Kelly at Newcastle Arena, where the challenger was fighting in his home area. Two judges scored the bout for Kelly, while the third had it even. The dispute centres on the 12th round, which one judge scored 10-10, a rare outcome in a world title contest with sustained action.
Another judge scored the round in Murtazaliev’s favour. Had the 10-10 card instead gone to him, the overall result would have been a draw, allowing Murtazaliev to retain his title under IBF rules. That single round ultimately determined the championship change.
The request was first reported by Dan Rafael, who said Murtazaliev’s team submitted a six-page letter to the IBF outlining the argument. According to Rafael, the appeal focuses narrowly on the final round and does not challenge the scoring of the earlier rounds. The emphasis is on the rarity of a 10-10 score being applied in a decisive round with visible forward pressure.
In the 12th, Murtazaliev spent much of the round advancing, using his jab and footwork to close distance and guide Kelly toward the ropes. Kelly had one brief opening when Murtazaliev missed and turned, allowing him to throw a short flurry while his opponent’s back was exposed. Outside of that sequence, Murtazaliev appeared to dictate where the round was fought.
The IBF has not yet indicated whether it will act on the request. The sanctioning body has discretion to order a rematch if it believes an error materially affected the outcome, though such interventions are uncommon.
If the IBF declines to intervene, Kelly’s title win stands as recorded. If it agrees that the scoring merits action, a rematch could be ordered without revisiting the remainder of the fight. For now, the situation remains unresolved, pending the federation’s review.