Raymond Muratalla has vacated his IBF lightweight title to pursue the champions at light welterweight, surrendering a belt he strengthened through victories over Andy Cruz and Robson Conceição.
Chris Mannix reported the decision Thursday, confirming that the 29-year-old’s run at 135 pounds is finished. Muratalla became full champion following Vasiliy Lomachenko’s retirement, edged Cruz by 12-round majority decision in January, and retained the belt with a unanimous decision over Conceição in August.
Vacating eliminates the expense and limited commercial value of facing the IBF’s lightly known contenders. Muratalla and his team are betting that contender fights at 140 will generate more money than paying sanctioning fees to defend against challengers with little American following.
The gamble is finding opponents willing to face him. Shakur Stevenson holds the WBO title, Gary Antuanne Russell owns the WBA belt, and Dalton Smith is the WBC champion. The newcomer brings technical pressure, durability, and consecutive victories over two Olympic gold medalists. That makes him dangerous without giving Russell or Smith a regulatory reason to select him for a voluntary defense.
Shakur represents the clearest route because the WBO has Muratalla ranked No. 1. However, Stevenson is signed with Zuffa Boxing, eliminating the in-house Top Rank connection that might have simplified negotiations. The ranking provides leverage, but the WBO has not formally declared Muratalla mandatory.
His departure also exposes the weakness of the IBF’s lightweight succession line. Its No. 1 spot is unfilled, followed by Artur Subkhankulov and Dzmitry Asanau. Neither owns a result comparable to Muratalla’s performance against Cruz.
Top Rank still controls WBO lightweight champion Abdullah Mason, but its strongest proven fighter at 135 has walked away. Muratalla exchanged a guaranteed title for the possibility of richer fights in a division where every champion has easier options.
Beating Cruz and Conceição proved that he belongs at world level. It also made him precisely the type of challenger established champions prefer to avoid unless a sanctioning body or a large purse forces the issue.
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Last Updated on 2026/09/02 at 10:18 PM
