Prior to the Canelo-Kovalev main event Saturday night on DAZN, the live audience at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and those fans tuning into the DAZN live stream early will catch the IBF Junior Middleweight Eliminator Bout between Bakhram Murtazaliev of Russia and Jorge Fortea of Spain. For the scouting report for this important match-up,
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Category
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Bakhram Murtazaliev
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Jorge Fortea
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Age
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26
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28
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Record
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16-0 (13 KOs)
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20-1-1 (6 KOs)
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Strength
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Bakhram has power in both hands and throws vicious combinations. Only three of his previous opponents have made it past the 5th round.
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Jorge is a tough fighter with solid endurance and quick hands. He is fast on his feet and can frustrate his opponents with his elusiveness in the ring.
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Weakness
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He lacks consistent head movement and that could be costly considering Fortea’s consistency.
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He does not possess much pop in his hands, he will have to stick-and-move in order to avoid the big shots from Bakhram.
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Experience
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Murtazaliev does not have as many professional fights under his belt as Fortea. However, he has faced the tougher opposition and owns wins over durable veterans Fernando Carcamo and Elvin Ayala.
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Fortea has been fighting professionally longer than Murtazlaiev, but he has not faced the same caliber of opposition. This will be his toughest test to date thus far.
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Power
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The power in Bakhram’s punches is his biggest strength. He has experienced very little trouble putting his opponents away.
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Jorge is not a power-puncher; he has recorded just one stoppage win since 2015.
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Speed
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He has average speed.
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His speed will be one of his biggest advantages. He throws fast combinations and is very agile in the ring.
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Endurance
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Murtazaliev went a full 10 rounds on one occasion, a fight in which he earned a unanimous decision victory over the always-durable Norberto Gonzalez.
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Fortea has proven to have strong endurance. Most of his bouts have gone the distance, including a 12-round decision win over his toughest test to date, Navid Mansouri.
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Accuracy
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Bakhram has a mean left hook to the body and a straight right-hand that could change the course of any fight if landed flush.
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Jorge’s most accurate punch is his jab, he keeps constantly in motion and that has frustrated his previous opposition.
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Defense
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The Russian likes to fight fire-with-fire. His ferocious fighting style and the power in his hands has been his best defense.
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His in-ring agility and quickness on his feet make him the better defensive fighter.
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Chin
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Murtazaliev’s chin has yet to be significantly tested.
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Jorge was stopped once back in 2015. This fight will show if his chin can hold up against a clean shot from Bakhram.
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Style
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Bakhram is aggressive and likes to come forward and apply pressure on his opponents. He is heavy-handed and is confident that he can stop anyone he faces.
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Fortea is a smooth boxer who uses a slick jab and constant movement inside the ring. He likes to frustrate his opponents with his slick boxing and defensive skills.
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Intangibles
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In the biggest fight of his career thus far, Bakhram has made the biggest and boldest decision of his career by bringing on a new trainer, Virgil Hunter. The renowned trainer has worked with a number of former champions.
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This will be the biggest fight of Jorge’s career. He will be fighting outside of his native country of Spain for the first time.
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Crowd Support
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Bakhram has been fighting in the US since 2016 and has competed in Las Vegas on three separate occasions. He should have significant crowd support.
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This will be Fortea’s first fight outside of Spain. Even though he will be a new face to the US fanbase, a win on such a massive card will put his name on the map.
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Match-up
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According to Main Events’ Matchmaker, Jolene Mizzone, “Both of these fighters have something to prove in this fight. They are hungry to prove they belong in that #1 spot of the IBF junior middleweight rankings. When the IBF ordered the fight, neither guy thought twice about accepting the challenge, which is always refreshing.”