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“When they talk in the media, they say they want to fight the best,” Murtazaliev said. “When it comes to business, they put the amount of money that is too high and not affordable.”
The situation reflects a familiar pattern in the junior middleweight division. Interest is expressed publicly, while private talks fail to move forward. No fight is formally declined, but negotiations stall before reaching a workable stage.
For Murtazaliev, that cycle has left him holding a world title without a clear route toward the division’s highest profile matchups. He enters Saturday’s bout as the IBF champion after stopping Tim Tszyu, yet there is no confirmed opponent waiting beyond the Kelly defence.
Murtazaliev stressed that his comments were not aimed at Ennis personally, but at how major fights are often discussed. If Ennis is pursuing titles at 154 pounds, the IBF belt is already in play. Murtazaliev said he is ready to move beyond the prolonged back and forth and toward concrete negotiations.
The immediate focus remains on Saturday’s fight. Murtazaliev must first get through Kelly before any future discussions can move forward. But by speaking openly, the IBF champion has clarified his position. The junior middleweight division is stacked, but nothing is really moving.
With the Vergil Ortiz Jr. lawsuit against Golden Boy still hanging over things and talks involving Jaron Ennis going nowhere, champions like Murtazaliev are stuck waiting. Coming off the biggest win of his career, he’s made it clear he has no interest in standing around while other fights get tied up on paper.
He isn’t asking to be mentioned after fights. He’s asking for the conversation to finally move.
