Andy Cruz has taken on a fight others refused, agreeing to face Albert Bell in an IBF lightweight title eliminator after Lucas Bahdi passed on the same opportunity, as first reported by Jake Donovan.
The match has been agreed in principle, with a date and venue yet to be finalised, although it is expected to land on a Matchroom show in June or July. The winner will become the mandatory challenger for IBF titleholder Raymond Muratalla, who is allowed a voluntary defense before facing the next contender.
Bahdi was previously offered the eliminator but chose not to proceed, leaving the position open. Cruz moved forward with negotiations during the IBF allotted period and committed to the fight, accepting a bout that presents a different type of problem in the undefeated Bell.
#3 IBF Bell, a 6-foot lightweight from Toledo, has struggled to find meaningful opposition despite his undefeated record. His path at 130 pounds stalled due to a lack of support from the sanctioning bodies, which led to his weight gain. The IBF’s decision to order a final knockout at 135 has now put him directly into a relevant fight.
The 33-year-old Bell has been in the pro ranks for 13 years, but has yet to step it up against a high-level opponent. It’s amazing that he’s been around this long but never fought any significant opposition in all that time.
Cruz enters with a clear goal after his decision loss to Muratalla in Las Vegas in January, where he was knocked out over 12 rounds. A win over Bell would return him to the mandatory position and create a second opportunity at the title. It’s unclear if Muratalla will stay at lightweight much longer. He is big for the division, and he could be stronger if he moves up.
At the weigh-in for his fight against Cruz, he looked visibly thin with sunken cheeks and dark circles under his eyes. If Cruz does get past Bell to face Muratalla again, it will be an interesting fight to see the adjustments the Olympic gold medalist makes in 2020.
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Last updated on 2026/03/25 at 23:31
