Overview
- Kelly won by majority decision with scorecards of 115-111, 114-113 and 113-113 in Newcastle.
- The challenger floored Murtazaliev in round four before being dropped himself in the ninth.
- The result hands Murtazaliev his first professional defeat after a 23-0 start and makes Kelly 18-1-1 with nine knockouts.
- The title fight headlined the DAZN-streamed card at the Utilita Arena and marked Kelly’s first world championship.
- Murtazaliev entered as a clear betting favorite after a 15-month layoff, with the undercard featuring Josh Padley vs Jaouad Belmehdi for the European super-featherweight title and Elif Nur Turhan vs Taylah Gentzen for the IBF women’s lightweight belt.