Dave Allen makes a powerful prediction Josh KellyThe opponent who challenges world honors for the first time is IBF super welterweight champion Bahram Murtazaliyev.

The pair will face off at Newcastle Arena on Saturday, with Murtazhaliev making his mandatory title defense away from home.

In Germany, the fearsome Russian knocked out Jack Culcay in the 11th round to capture the IBF belt in 2024, defending it against Tim Tszyu later that year.

This time, it’s a An even more devastating third-round stoppage win This only enhanced Murtazhaliev’s reputation as a fine artist.

However, the 33-year-old Kelly has not competed in more than 15 months and many believe he has the ability to break out of the jam and come out victorious.

of Sunderland The only loss in his career was against David Avanesyan In 2021, due to lack of experience, he succumbed to the constant pressure from his opponents.

Since then, the 31-year-old has racked up notable wins in domestic competition over the likes of Troy Williamson and Ishmael Davis, but he has yet to be properly tested against world-class opposition at 154 pounds.

However, he will do just that tomorrow night when British heavyweight Allen suspects Murtazaliyev’s power will be too much for “Pretty Boy” Kelly.

talking about his YouTube channelAllen found it hard to ignore what happened in Kelly’s fight against Avanesia, which turned out to be his last fight at 147 pounds.

“Mismatch is a very strong word because Josh Kelly has the ability to make this fight go three or four rounds.

“But I just can’t see a world where Josh Kelly fights Murtazaliyev for 12 rounds. I can see him beating Murtazaliyev in three or four rounds, but I can’t see him having any impact on Murtazaliyev.

“I’m a big fan of Avanesyan, but the natural super lightweight ground (Kelly) knocked him down and stopped him. Murtazaliev is twice as big as Avanesyan and hits twice as hard as Avanesyan.

“I’m not going to give him (Kelly) a chance.”

It’s not just the way he seeks and destroys that he brings to every fight, but it’s his effortless style that makes Murtazaliyev an especially dangerous boxer.