Raymond Muratalla silenced any doubters, proving the IBF’s decision to elevate him to full world champion was well-deserved.
The undefeated lightweight made a statement in his first world title defense Saturday night at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, edging Andy Cruz by majority decision.
Judge Max DeLuca saw it as a dead-even 114-114, Tim Cheatham apparently watched a one-sided demolition with an eyebrow-raising 118-110 for Muratalla, but thankfully Steve Weisfeld brought sanity back with a 116-112 score, handing Muratalla the win. FightsATW scored the fight 115-113 for Muratalla.
Cruz entered the fight as the clear favorite over Muratalla. Most sportsbooks had him on the money-line at around -225 to -275, while Muratalla was the underdog at roughly +210 to +220.
Muratalla was elevated to IBF world champion in June following Vasiliy Lomachenko’s retirement. He had captured the IBF interim belt just a month earlier with a unanimous decision over Zaur Abdullaev.
Cruz secured his mandatory challenger spot with a dominant stoppage of Hironori Mishiro in June. The 2020 Olympic gold medalist, widely regarded as one of the best amateurs of recent years, was looking to claim his first world title in just his seventh professional fight.
The fight began at a blistering pace, with Muratalla looking to establish his long jab to keep Cruz at bay while mixing his attacks upstairs and to the body. Just over a minute into the round, Cruz answered with a well-timed counter, backing Muratalla up with a crisp right hand. With 1:15 remaining in the frame, Cruz connected with a three-punch combination, but Muratalla responded immediately, snapping a sharp uppercut that caught Cruz off guard. Near the end of the round, Muratalla feinted to the head before ripping a beautifully placed right hand to the body.
Muratalla continued to press forward on his front foot to open the second round, immediately connecting with a right hand to set the tone. He forced Cruz to fight at his pace, controlling the ring and keeping him at bay with a steady jab and sharp right hands. While Muratalla missed some of his right-hand attempts, the constant threat kept Cruz honest and prevented him from planting his feet or mounting any meaningful offense.
Muratalla (24-0, 17 KOs), 29, of Fontana, California, who entered the fight 8–0 with seven knockouts in Las Vegas appearances, continued to pump the jab and keep Cruz pinned against the ropes. A key part of his attack was sustained body work, and he leaned into it effectively, repeatedly digging shots downstairs to keep Cruz in check. Cruz did manage to catch Muratalla with a sharp right cross with about a minute remaining in the round, but Muratalla appeared unfazed and immediately went back to throwing heavy leather to the body.
Cruz, 30, began to hold his ground more effectively in the fourth round. Midway through the frame, the two traded jabs, but Cruz started circling to his left, making Muratalla miss and punishing him with a series of counter right hands. It was yet another close, competitive round in what was quickly shaping up to be a high-level banger.
The sixth round hinted at a shift in momentum, with Cruz adopting a more stationary approach that seemed to throw Muratalla off his rhythm. Cruz let Muratalla chase him around the ring, forcing his opponent to throw several punches that missed their mark. Still, Muratalla managed to land a solid right hand to the body, reminding Cruz that he was still very much in the fight.
Now officially in the second half of the fight, Muratalla, who had promised in the pre-fight buildup that this was when he would take control, looked to assert his dominance.
Just 1:30 into the round, an overhand right landed flush on Cruz’s head, backing him up. Muratalla returned to the strategy that had served him well earlier—ring generalship and high-volume punching that kept Cruz on the back foot.
With 35 seconds remaining, Muratalla missed with a big uppercut but followed immediately with a flurry of body shots that appeared to take a toll on Cruz.
Both fighters seemed to take the eighth round off, trading jabs and counters in short bursts, though Cruz likely edged the frame. Between rounds, Cruz’s corner urged him to press forward, reminding him that Muratalla struggled when forced to fight backwards.
Cruz heeded the advice and came out aggressive in the ninth round, landing a right hand that pushed Muratalla back. Muratalla responded with a strong second half of the frame, connecting with a body shot and a left uppercut that caught Cruz on the inside, keeping the round competitive.
As the fight entered the championship rounds, one question remained: could either man separate himself from the other?
Both corners emphasized urgency as the 11th round began, urging their fighters not to let anything slip away. For Cruz, it was his first time seeing the championship rounds, a moment that added tension to the canvas.
Muratalla landed the first significant punch, a left hand that buckled Cruz’s knees, and followed with jabs upstairs and to the body. Cruz responded with a sharp jab of his own, only for Muratalla to fire back with a short, compact combination. However, when Muratalla briefly dropped his hands, Cruz seized the opportunity, landing a flurry of hard punches that clipped his opponent and kept the action sizzling.
Cruz opened the 12th and final round with a sharp one-two, but Muratalla answered immediately, landing a heavy right that rocked the challenger.
Cruz came back with a quick counter, yet Muratalla continued to work the body with surgical precision. Both fighters exchanged clean shots—Cruz with a crisp left, Muratalla replying in kind—and with a minute remaining, they were trading blows at close range.
Muratalla landed a powerful combination; they traded rights once more, and Cruz landed a pair of sharp counters. In the end, it was Muratalla who narrowly took the round, doing just enough to edge a fiercely contested affair.
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