How Does Jermell Charlo Vacating the IBF Title Affect Bakhram Murtazaliev’s Mandatory Status?

Jermell Charlo has lost two of his belts despite not losing a bout in the division. The junior middleweight champion had a topsy-turvy career inside the ring. In the last 3 years, he has competed only four times. Not to mention, in his last bout, he suffered his first-ever defeat against Canelo Alvarez. In a recent turn of events, Charlo had to vacate his IBF title and is no longer the undisputed champion of the division.

However, apart from his belt, Charlo has also lost a prolonged match-up. That fight happens to none other than Bakhram Murtazaliev. So without further ado, let’s dive in on the sequence of events.

The saga of Charlo vs. Murtazaliev

Bakhram Murtazaliev is one of the biggest prospects in the division and has been for a substantial period of time. He has an impressive record of 21 victories with no defeats, and 15 of his victories have come via knockouts, giving him a 71% knockout ratio. Moreover, the reason behind his not competing for the world title was that the champion was inactive.

In November 2019, Murtazaliev was declared the mandatory opponent for Charlo. However, after 3 years of ongoing negotiations, the bout could not come to fruition. In a recent turn of events, as per the boxing scene, Charlo has vacated the IBF belt. Subsequently, Murtazaliev is now in line to face Jack Culcay for the vacant IBF belt, as the two are ranked highest in the IBF rankings.

This has not been the only instance the former undisputed was forced to vacate his title.

Charlo forced to vacant WBO title

Earlier this year, Charlo was supposed to face another Light-middleweight contender, Tim Tszyu. However, the bout was kept in abeyance as Charlo suffered a hand injury. When he did make his comeback, he decided to make it against Canelo Alvarez. The WBO objected to the same and, in a notification, it set the record straight. It concluded that Charlo would be stripped of his WBO title the moment he stepped into the ring to face Alvarez.

Read more: “Decided to Run Straight to Another Shark”: Fans Lash Out at Jermell Charlo for Making “Payday Hunting” Callout Moments After Losing to Canelo Alvarez

In the past few months, Charlo has lost two of his belts and got handed his first-ever loss. It would be intriguing to see how the boxer rises again. However, until then, we are curious to know, what you make of these developments. Share with us your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.

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