Tim Tszyu brands Bakhram Murtazaliev ‘stupid, unprofessional’ after heated press conference

Tim Tszyu has launched into rival Bakhram Murtazaliev at their weigh-in, branding the Chechen world champion ‘stupid and unprofessional’ as he battles to make weight for their title fight.

Tim Tszyu has branded Bakhram Murtazaliev “stupid” and “not professional” after the Chechen world champion’s struggle to cut down to the 154-pound super-welterweight limit.

Murtazaliev has been spotted every day this week wearing a hoodie and running on the treadmill in the gym at the resort both fighters are staying at in Orlando.

“I’m not doing that, it’s stupid,” Tszyu said when asked if he was running as well. “He was also eating chips.

“It doesn’t make sense at all.

“I don’t think he’s struggling, he’s stupid. Dumb. That’s all I see.

“He’s not professional. He’s old school. And some of these things will play a big part in a big fight like this.”

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Tim Tszyu tees off at his weigh-in press conference. Picture: Johnny Garcia

‘The Soul Taker’ was similarly unimpressed after going face-to-face with Murtazaliev for the first time on Thursday local time.

“He’s not as tall as I thought,” he said. “He’s not as strong.

“He was talking Russian – and I speak Russian as well – but I couldn’t really understand him. He’s a mumbler.”

After an intense three-month training camp in Las Vegas, Tszyu is incredibly confident as he attempts to become a two-time world champion.

But it was an entirely different vibe when the pair first met in person when fighting on the same card two-and-a-half years ago.

Tim Tszyu comes face-to-face with Bakhram Murtazaliev. Picture: Johnny Garcia

Back then it was all false bravado as Tszyu battled his own weight cutting issues - and a bad case of the flu - in sub-zero temperatures in Minneapolis for his US debut against Terrell Gausha.

“I was sick, I was copping it – absolutely copping it,” Tszyu told this masthead about that chance meeting while brutally ill.

“I looked like a skeleton, I felt like a skeleton, man. That was one tough morning.

“I remember he was much taller than me, but skinny as well. He looked sucked in.

“I’d heard of the bloke, and we nodded at each other as we passed. I wasn’t thinking about it too much, but we nodded as if we were gonna fight one day.

“Now here we are.”

Tszyu overcame his health struggles and a shock early knockdown that night to beat Gausha and kickstart his move into the States.

Tim Tszyu stands proud after defeating Terrell Gausha in 2022. Picture: Getty

Meanwhile, the then-unknown Murtazaliev fought in a ‘swing bout’ against a Mexican journeyman after Tszyu’s main event.

The few crowd members who stuck around while attendants began packing away the chairs would have seen the Russian score a brutal first round knockout of Ahmad Cheikho.

The irony that Murtazaliev is now a world champion while Tszyu – the star that night back in 2022 – is the challenger looking to rebuild his career, isn’t lost on either man.

Murtazaliev says the power he used to stop Cheikho will be enough to destroy Tszyu’s career, and he wants the Aussie to meet him in the middle of the ring for a firefight.

“Come to papa!” Tszyu said when told of Murtazaliev’s plans. “A lot of people don’t realise – they think I’m one type of fighter.

“But actually, when they get in the ring, they’re like, ‘Oh, this is different’.

“This is just gonna be another body added, and he’s gonna realise the same thing.

“I’ve got plans from A to Z, but I’ll figure it out on the spot and see what he brings. I’m very aware of what he brings, but it’s just seeing it in the first couple of rounds.”

Originally published as Tim Tszyu brands Bakhram Murtazaliev ‘stupid, unprofessional’ after heated press conference