Muratalla Vacates IBF Lightweight Title as Cruz-Subkhankulov Looms

Raymond Muratalla is done at 135. The now-former IBF lightweight champion officially vacated his belt over the weekend, closing the book on a perfect 24-0 (17 KO) run at the weight and clearing the way for a jump to 140. The move surprised nobody who'd been listening, but it does open up one of the sport's better division picks.

The IBF wasted no time. According to Cesar Seda, the sanctioning body handed its top two contenders — Artur Subkhankulov and Andy Cruz — a 30-day window to negotiate a vacant title fight before a purse bid gets triggered. That's a tight leash, but it's the kind of deadline that tends to force promoters to move.

Cruz's Fast Track Back

Cruz (7-1, 4 KO) is the recognizable name here, and he's earned this spot the hard way. He dropped an entertaining decision to Muratalla back in January — a genuine shootout — and then got jobbed out of a June final eliminator when Albert Bell pulled out late. Rather than sit and wait, the #5-ranked lightweight took a short-notice date with Abraham Montoya and blitzed him inside three rounds.

That TKO win means Cruz skips the usual pit stop and slides straight into a title shot. For a Cuban standout with only eight pro fights on the ledger, that's a rapid climb — the amateur pedigree carrying the weight the pro record hasn't had time to build.

Subkhankulov Is No Pushover

Don't sleep on the other guy. Subkhankulov, 34, is 12-0 (6 KO) and coming off a 12th-round stoppage of Tajik contender Bakhodur Usmonov — the kind of deep-water finish that tells you plenty. He spent years piling up amateur bouts before turning pro, so the modest profile hides a serious operator.

There's history, too. Cruz and Subkhankulov crossed paths in the unpaid ranks in 2019, with Subkhankulov edging a split decision. A pro rematch for a world title, with that score hanging over it, is exactly the kind of fight the division needs. Now it just needs two promoters willing to say yes inside 30 days.