At 154 years old, Murtazaliev has learned the limits of his belt. Beating Tim Tszyu doesn’t release leverage. Holding the IBF title doesn’t compel the most financially important fighters to take an interest. Jaron Ennis and Vergil Ortiz are considered the standard-bearers for the division, but neither has shown interest in fighting the reigning belt holder. The reason is simple. Belts don’t translate into money.

This reality explains Murtazhaliev’s current weight change.

Moving up to middleweight would be the safest option physically, but it would also be pointless. The sector was weak, quiet, and commercially dormant.

There’s no obvious payday waiting there. There is no pressure and no sense of urgency. There is no reason to build major events around him. Sure, he might grab another strap there, but who’s watching? No hustle and bustle, no stress and certainly no huge check for £160 waiting.

Moving down to welterweight changes things completely because that’s where the money and attention in the sport is focused. The best-known companies operate there, and the cost of fighting depends on how much interest they generate, not whether they fit the logic of competition.

Even if the possibility of making it into the ring is slim, it’s worth more than staying at junior middleweight with no one actively chasing the title.

The risk, of course, is that nothing changes. He could advance, weaken himself, but still find the door closed, as it is now at 154. But the risk exists because there simply isn’t any upside at his current position.

It’s not a sign of ambition when the defending champion starts thinking about quitting over his opponents. This is isolation. It says more about how boxing works in 2026 than it does about Bahram Murtazaliyev’s career choice.