The lightweight division title picture looks to get a little clearer on Saturday night live from the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, CA.
Top Rank & ESPN host a card that is headlined by WBO super featherweight champion Emanuel Navarrete (39-2-1, 32 KOs) taking on the undefeated contender Charly Suarez (18-0, 10 KOs) in a scheduled 12-round bout. But the more intriguing matchup is the co-feature that will pit top contender Raymond Muratalla (22-0, 17 KOs) against Zaur Abdullaev (20-1, 12 KOs) for the IBF interim lightweight title. The full champion is Vasiliy Lomachenko, who is currently mulling the decision on when or if he will return.
The 28-year-old Muratalla, from West Covina, CA, has been waiting for this opportunity for quite some time, and after what appeared to be a career that was a bit stagnant, things are now going full speed ahead. Last year, his career almost took a sharp turn as he fought three times, with one being a narrow but unanimous decision over veteran and former super featherweight champion Tevin Farmer. It was an experience he would not soon forget, but he learned from it as he would score a second-round TKO over Jesus Campos just four months later.
Muratalla reflected on one of the more challenging years as he prepares for the biggest one of them all. “I just have to be more aggressive with my approach from the beginning,” said Muratalla when thinking of the Farmer fight. “I think his experience had something to do with it, and he knew how to survive in that ring.” As Muratalla finished reflecting on 2024, he felt the experience was more valuable than anything else. “I just keep improving with my fights as they go on.”
RGBA
According to Muratalla, he lives a very simple life but values family and friends. There isn’t much to him, which could be a good thing, as too much in your life can be a distraction, especially as a fighter on the brink of a big fight. Muratalla spends his time training and focuses entirely on boxing. When he isn’t fighting, traveling, and hanging out with family and friends, is what fills up the time.
For all of the things mentioned, it’s the reason why it makes the most sense that Muratalla has the 2024 BWAA (Boxing Writers Association of America) Trainer of the Year, Robert Garcia, in his corner. Garcia and the crew over at RGBA (Robert Garcia Boxing Academy) are getting Muratalla ready for Saturday’s big fight from their new location in Moreno Valley, CA. Garcia has been known to have a family environment at his gym, which fits perfectly with Muratalla’s personality and what he values most.
“It’s been great being with them (RGBA),” Muratalla told FightsATW. “Those guys really care for you and are always looking out. Since the beginning, they saw I was serious about this and trained really hard. Just to have their support has been huge for me and my career.”
Getting Ready For The Big Fight
On Saturday, Muratalla faces Abdullaev, who has shared the ring with Devin Haney, Jorge Linares, Roger Gutierrez, and others. To say Abdullaev has world-class experience is an understatement, and with him fighting only once in the U.S., it’s challenging to find footage of him. So, for a guy that he barely knows of and with so much riding on this fight, how did Muratalla prepare for such a challenge? “For guys like that, you have to be ready for them and be in shape,” said Muratalla.
With the status of Lomachenko being unknown, this fight against Abdullaev could end up being for the full IBF title or the one that leads to the Lomachenko fight later this year. Knowing this, how does Muratalla deal with it all? “It’s a lot to take in,” said Muratalla. “I just have to stay focused for this fight.”
What should the fans who will watch the fight live at the Pechanga Arena or on ESPN expect on Saturday night? Muratalla took a second and simply said, “A great fight. I love putting on a show for the fans.”
We are just days away from seeing if Muratalla can put it all together and have his moment and become the new IBF interim lightweight champion, or does Abdullaev wreck those plans to set up a showdown of the Far East against Loma? Tune into ESPN on Saturday night to find out.
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