Bakhram Murtazaliev has played down Tim Tszyu’s performance against Sebastian Fundora, when he fought on for 10 rounds with blood pouring from his head.
Tszyu’s vision was inhibited by the blood that ran from his scalp that was the consequence of Fundora’s elbow, contributing to him recording, via split decision, his first defeat.
Unusually for a previously undefeated fighter losing for the first time, he emerged from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in March with his reputation enhanced.
That he is challenging for the IBF junior-middleweight title in his following fight, having sacrificed to Fundora his title from the WBO, is a reflection of not only the tenacity he demonstrated throughout such a dramatic evening but the impression made by the images of his blood-soaked face.
Murtazaliev won the vacant title when defeating Jack Culcay in April, and while he respects the 29-year-old Tszyu’s performance against Fundora emphasised not only that he lost, but that Fundora’s injuries have been overlooked.
“He fought very well,” the Russian told BoxingScene. “He was in a good exciting fight. But you’ve got to look at it like this – we’re fighters and we get blood every single day, almost. We get blood in sparring; we get bloody ever since we were kids. So we’re used to this.
“If you’re a swimmer that’s very scary for you. But when you fight over 300 fights in your lifetime, it’s normal.
“It’s better to fight smarter than fight like an ‘old-school’ fighter.
“They have to have excuses somehow, right? They have to come up with excuses somehow. He lost clearly. They both were injured; they both were smashed, and one won.”
Murtazaliev, 31, was then asked what he believes his opponent – who he fights on Saturday at the Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida – does well.
“Goes forward and takes punches to his face,” he responded.
“[The way he] moves,” he then said when asked what the Australian needs to improve.
“I’m focused on my fight. I don’t care what anybody thinks or what everybody’s going to say. I’m tunnel vision on the fight; focused, 100 per cent. I don’t care what everybody says or thinks.
“We’ll see [on Saturday]. Just like any other opponent – [whether] he’s a good fighter. Just like all of the other ones – we have to go in the ring and find out.”
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