Unbeaten IBF super welterweight champion Bakhram Murtazaliev delivered a dominant performance on Saturday, knocking down Tim Tszyu four times en route to a third-round technical knockout in Orlando, Florida. Murtazaliev, using his powerful left hook, floored Tszyu three times in the second round before finishing him off in the third at 1:55, forcing Tszyu’s corner to throw in the towel.
Murtazaliev improved his perfect record to 23-0 with 17 knockouts, successfully defending the title he won in April against Jack Culcay. Tszyu, fighting for the first time since his March defeat to Sebastian Fundora, dropped to 24-2. Despite trying to press forward and land a few solid blows, Tszyu couldn’t recover from the relentless punishment.
Tszyu, a former WBO world champion, was hoping for a triumphant return after a previous injury hampered his vision in his last fight, but his aggressive tactics against Murtazaliev ultimately backfired. After the fight, Tszyu acknowledged his defeat, stating, “The better man won tonight. No excuses there.” His father, former world champion Kostya Tszyu, watched from ringside.
