Lomachenko vs. Muratalla or Abdullaev: mandate of the IBF

IBF lightweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko has been granted a medical exemption by the sanctioning body so he can retain his title.

IBF ruling

Meanwhile, the IBF ordered #2 Raymond Muratalla and #4 Zaur Abdullaev to fight for the interim 135-pound belt. Lomachencheko (18-3, 12 KOs) must defend his IBF title against the winner of Muratalla-Abdullaev by October 8 to retain his belt.

It’s a tough decision for Lomachenko, 36, to make because he needs his IBF title to help him in his negotiating position for a unification fight against WBA champion Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis.

However, Loma doesn’t have the money to fight the winner of the Muratallev-Abdullaev fight because neither man is well known to casual boxing fans. Plus, it would be a brutal fight for Lomachenko if Muratalla (22-0, 17 KOs) is who he ends up facing. That guy can punch and is one of the most dangerous lightweights in the division.

If the IBF allows Lomachenko to avoid the winner so he can fight Tank, that would be one way to avoid having to fight the Muratalla-Abdullaev fight.

Abdullaev (20-1, 12 KOs) has won his last nine fights since suffering the only loss of his career, losing to Devin Haney via fourth-round knockout on September 13, 2019. Haney landed the perfect shot to get the knockout in that fight. . If they had fought a rematch, Abdullaev probably would have beaten Haney because he was doing well before being stopped.