Josh Kelly becomes IBF light-middleweight champion after recovering from knockdown to beat Bakhram Murtazaliev in Newcastle

Britain's Josh Kelly outpointed Bakhram Murtazaliev to win the IBF light-middleweight title in Newcastle.

The Sunderland fighter was floored in the ninth round by Russian Murtazaliev with two further stumbles late on ruled as slips by the referee.

Kelly - who had knocked his opponent off his feet in the fourth round - took victory with one judge marking the bout 115-111 in his favour and another grading it 114-113, with the third calling it a 113-113 draw.

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The 31-year-old is Sunderland's first world champion, and told BBC Radio 5 Live afterwards: "It feels like a dream. I envisioned this.

"I had to concentrate - I feel overwhelmed. I need to take a second backstage to gather myself. I'm mentally exhausted."

Kelly's eighth straight win since a first professional defeat to David Avanesyan in February 2021 takes the number of current male British world champions to six.

Kelly joins compatriots Fabio Wardley (heavyweight), Lewis Crocker (welterweight), Jazza Dickens (super-featherweight), Nick Ball (featherweight) and Dalton Smith (super-lightweight) in holding gold.

'Pretty Boy', who is trained by Adam Booth, sent Murtazaliev crashing to the mat in the fourth round with a vicious left hand and winked as his rival clambered to his feet.

Knockout specialist Murtazaliev - whose defeat was his first in 23 bouts - dished out a venomous left hand of his own to topple Kelly in the ninth round but was outmanoeuvred by the home boxer.

(c) Sky Sports 2026: Josh Kelly becomes IBF light-middleweight champion after recovering from knockdown to beat Bakhram Murtazaliev in Newcastle