‘A lot of weaknesses’: Russian Bakhram Murtazaliev challenges Tim Tszyu to mid-ring brawl

Tim Tszyu’s Russian rival has lobbed a grenade at the Australian ahead of their world title fight in the US, hinting at his gameplan to take down the 29-year-old.

Tim Tszyu’s Russian rival has lobbed a grenade at the Australian by warning he can knock him out with one punch.

Big-punching Bakhram Murtazaliev is the cold-blooded slugger from the Russian city of Grozny hellbent on delivering the knockout blow to Tszyu’s comeback world-title fairytale on Sunday (AEDT).

Stung by his world-title loss to Sebastian Fundora in Las Vegas in March, Tszyu returns to the ring in Orlando and will become a two-time world champion if he snatches the IBF super welterweight strap from Murtazaliev.

But the defending champion has other ideas, hitting back at Tszyu’s suggestion that the Sydneysider is a “class above” Murtazaliev.

The 31-year-old claimed the IBF world title with an 11th-round TKO of Jack Culcay in April and the unbeaten Murtazaliev warned that if he hits the target with his trademark clubbing right hand, Tszyu won’t rise from the canvas.

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Bakhram Murtazaliev is ready to bring the hurt to Tim Tszyu.

“If I connect, he will be going down for sure,” said Murtazaliev, adding that he will expose chinks in Tszyu’s armour.

“There’s a lot of weaknesses he has and I will show you in the fight.

“Every single fighter has some kind of weaknesses.

“He was a world champion so that puts him at a very high level and he is pretty good, but at the same time I don’t know how good he is until we meet in the ring.

“I am very confident I am going to win this fight … I will find out if he’s the same level as me or not on (Sunday).”

Murtazaliev is an imposing figure at super welterweight.

At six feet fall, the 183cm Russian has the height advantage over Tszyu, who stands around 175cm, and he has won 16 of his 22 professional fights by knockout, underscoring his punching power.

Such is Murtazaliev’s confidence, the Grozny destroyer has sensationally challenged Tszyu to punch on with him in centre ring.

Tim Tszyu is happy to take on Bakhram Murtazaliev in a mid-ring brawl. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

The ‘Soul Taker’ is only too happy to take up his offer.

“Come to Papa!” Tszyu said of Murtazaliev’s challenge for a mid-ring brawl.

“A lot of people don’t realise … they think I’m one sort of fighter, but actually when they get in the ring, they’re like, ‘Oh, yeah, this is different’.

“He won’t handle my pressure.

“It’s going to be another body added to my list, and he’s going to realise the same thing. Simple.”

In Murtazaliev’s last fight against Culcay, both men were exhausted in the 11th round and barely able to punch.

That suggests Tszyu, always supremely fit, will outlast Murtazaliev, but the Russian revealed he fought Culcay while observing Ramadan, which prevented him eating or drinking for 12 to 14 hours a day.

“I will be five times better than the last fight, minimum,” Murtazaliev said.

“I’m in better shape and I’m in better condition, everything is good.

“You will see what happens in the ring and all the stuff they are talking about online (about his sluggish performance against Culcay), they will have their answers.”

Originally published as ‘A lot of weaknesses’: Russian Bakhram Murtazaliev challenges Tim Tszyu to mid-ring brawl