Raymond Muratalla hopes to get a fight against Vasily Lomachenko next if he’s victorious in his battle against Zaur Abdullaev for the IBF interim lightweight belt this Saturday, May 10, at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego. Muratalla (22-0, 17 KOs) will be the mandatory IBF 135-lb champion Lomachenko if he wins on Saturday. So, if Loma returns from his injury, he could face Muratalla. Muratalla will be elevated to full IBF champion if he decides not to return.
(Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank)
Muratalla vs. Abdullaev is the co-feature on Saturday’s card, headlined by WBO super featherweight champion Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete (39-2-1, 32 KOs) defending against #1 Charly Suarez (18-0, 10 KOs). The event will be shown live on ESPN and ESPN+ at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.
For some reason, that fight hasn’t gained much traction. Fans are not familiar with Suarez and Navarrete, who were recently beaten by Denys Berinchyk last year.
Dream Fight: Loma
“It’s a huge fight. Any of those champions,” said Raymond Muratalla to Ring Magazine when asked if he’d be interested in fighting WBO lightweight champion Keyshawn Davis. “I think that would be a huge fight, and a great fight for us and the fans.”
Muratalla’s interest in fighting Keyshawn for his WBO belt wasn’t nearly as high as it was for fighting Lomachenko for the IBF belt. That could mean one of two things. Either Muratalla lacks confidence in his ability to beat Keyshawn, or he views the fight against Lomachenko as a more significant one that will pay better and help his career more. He obviously believes he can beat the 37-year-old. Why else would be be so interested in fighting Lomachenko?
“I’m focused on Saturday, and hopefully, I can get a win on Saturday and Lomachenko next,” said Muratalla. “That’s what I’m really looking forward to. With a win on Saturday, my mandatory is Lomachenko. I’m going to push for that first, and if not, I’m ready for any of the champions. I’m ready for any of them. We’ll see,” said Muratalla.
Last Updated on 05/08/2025
