American IBF lightweight (135 lbs) champion Raymond Muratalla (23-0, 17 KO’s) will be defending his title against Cuban mandatory opponent and #1 IBF-ranked contender Andy Cruz (6-0, 3 KO’s). The two will be facing each other in the first quarter of 2026, with a specific date and venue set to be announced over the next couple of weeks.
Matchroom, Cruz’ promoter, won the IBF’s purse bid ceremony that followed after the sanctioning body had ordered the two fighters to face each other earlier this month.
Prior to the IBF’s order, which was long overdue given both Cruz and Muratalla had wrapped up their fights in respectively June and May, Cruz was already the mandatory to Muratalla’s title after and discussions had taken place earlier this year according to Matchroom chairman Eddie Hearn.
However, these discussions never amounted to a palpable fight, eventually culminating in the IBF’s mandate. The purse bid that was arranged signifies an agreement between the two fighters’ promoters couldn’t be reached in time, leading to Matchroom outbidding Top Rank [Muratalla’s promoter] for what will be a high-stakes title fight. According to boxing reporter Dan Rafael, Matchroom outbid Top Rank with an amount of $888,888 over $550,000.
On paper, Raymond Muratalla appears the favorite due to sheer experience in the pro ranks yet Andy Cruz carries a significant chance with his Olympic gold-winning amateur pedigree and recent performances ― reminiscent of the likes of Vasyl Lomachenko and Naoya Inoue who also challenged for a world title before their 10th professional fight.
Either way, the stage is set for one of the most exciting clashes in the 135-pound division during a period where the division has gone relatively stale and unnoticed.
