Bakhram Murtazaliev vs Josh Kelly live results update

On Saturday, January 31, at the Newcastle Arena, Bakhram Murtazaliev vs Josh Kelly headlines a Matchroom Boxing card live on DAZN. They will clash for Murtazaliev’s IBF super welterweight title.

Murtazaliev will clash with Kelly for the Russian’s IBF crown, which he won in 2024 against Tim Tszyu. We’ll bring you all the results from every fight on the card. The card will begin at approximately 17:00 GMT/13:00 ET.

All results from Bakhram Murtazaliev vs Josh Kelly on January 31

Leo Atang vs Amine Boucetta

The first fight on the Bakhram Murtazaliev vs Josh Kelly main undercard saw Leo Atang (4-0, 4 KOs) vs Amine Boucetta (9-18, 0 KOs) in the heavyweight division.

An expected strong start from Atang saw him keep things long and vary his punches well. Boucetta continued to prioritise survival, while Atang stayed on the front foot and showed good variation in the opening two rounds. A nice flurry of punches, followed by a left hand, saw Boucetta take a knee and fail to beat the referee’s count. Atang’s perfect start continues.

Josh Blenkiron vs Robbie Colman

Josh Blenkiron (8-0-1, 0 KOs) vs Robbie Colman (7-1, 1 KO) was next up for the vacant Northern Area lightweight title.

Colman started well and looked to apply pressure, but Blenkiron put his shots together well and had him looking confident after the first two rounds. Both continued to have their moments over the next few rounds, but the work of “Blenka” looked cleaner. Colman applied effective pressure in the fourth and made it look uncomfortable for Blenkiron, in what was the 28-year-old’s best round of the fight.

More back-and-forth action ensued over the next few rounds, with Colman forcing the pace. Despite this, the quality work continued to come from Blenkiron. The pressure and desire of Colman never deserted him, but the smarter work continued to come from Blenkiron. A brilliant ninth round saw both fighters give everything and trade punches for the entire three minutes.

The referee had seen enough of Colman’s gumshield coming out and deducted a point in the final round. Colman and Blenkiron both deserve huge credit for what was a joy to watch from the first bell. It went to the referee’s scorecard, which read 96-95 in favour of Josh Blenkiron, the new Northern Area lightweight champion.

Kiaran MacDonald vs Marius Vysniauskas

Up next on the Bakhram Murtazaliev vs Josh Kelly undercard in the bantamweight division was the exciting amateur Kiaran MacDonald (1-0, 0 KOs), making his professional debut against Marius Vysniauskas (3-28, 1 KO).

A very good opening round from the debutant, who landed some beautiful body shots, with the right hook to the body standing out. MacDonald continued to box impressively and varied his attacks, while slipping anything that came back from Vysniauskas.

As the Lithuanian tried to force the pressure in the fourth round, the Sunderland native landed a perfectly timed counter right, scoring a knockdown, which only confirmed his domination. MacDonald showed poise throughout the four rounds and deserved the 40-35 win on the referee’s scorecard.

Lee Rogers vs Erick Omar Lopez

Next up in the super bantamweight division was Lee Rogers (7-0, 2 KOs) vs Erick Omar Lopez (20-35-3, 12 KOs).

It was a good opening round from Rogers, as he showcased slick movement and picked his shots well. The slick work from Rogers continued, and even when Lopez tried to fight back, the Newcastle native remained in control.

Lopez looked to apply pressure and throw punches, but Rogers proved too nimble for his brave opponent. The Mexican continued to come forward and look to engage, but Rogers timed his shots well throughout and deserved the shut-out 60-54 victory.

Bradley Casey vs Lee Roberts

In the opening fight of the night, it was Bradley Casey (4-0, 1 KO) vs Lee Roberts (1-4, 1 KO) in the cruiserweight division. 

After a pedestrian first half of the opening round, Casey quickly got into his groove, worked well off his jab and varied his punches impressively. The domination and impressive work rate continued from the 21-year-old. Roberts showed bravery, but he just couldn’t live with the variation from Casey.

Casey’s work rate continued until the final bell, and his accuracy improved. It was ultimately a comfortable night for Casey, who won 40-36 on the referee’s scorecard.