IBF lightweight champion Raymond Muratalla and the contender for 3-position Floyd Schofield were negotiated on Dazn in November.
Muratalla bypasses Andy Cruz for Schofield
Muratalla (23-0, 17 CO’s) negotiated with his IBF compulsory, Andy Cruz, but the talks failed over a money dispute. So, instead of facing the 2020 Olympic gold medal Cruz, the top-advanced Muratalla, 28, will make a voluntary defense against Schofield (19-0, 13 COs).
Manouk Akopyan broke the news X Today, August 27, 2025, of the Muratalla negotiating with Schofield. It is a fight that will create interest in fans. Schofield, 23, is on June 28, 2025 in Anaheim, California, of a surprising first round victory over former IBF superweight champion Tevin Farmer.
Farmer, 35, came to the Schofield match after losing successive razor decisions against William Zepeda. Veteran Shofield is expected to have a lot of problems and possibly defeat him. Farmer took a lot of punishment in the two Zepeda fights. Schofield went directly into a collision against the big puncher and an error for Tevin appeared.
It is not a surprise that Muratalla’s promoters on the top rank prefer to fight Schofield rather than the Cuban Andy Cruz. The technical skills that Cruz owns would make it difficult for Muratalla to land his power shots. With the still inexperienced Schofield, Muratalla is a better chance of winning.
Schofield does not have the same amateur evidence as Cruz. His record as an amateur was 40-17. In contrast, Cruz’s record was 140-9, including an Olympic gold medal in 2020.
New home for the best rank?
Muratalla’s promoters on the top rank do not yet have a broadcast agreement after their contract with ESPN expired on July 26 last month. So, if the Muratalla is made against Schofield, it will be shown on Dazn. Schofield’s promoters at Golden Boy have an agreement with Dazn to display their cards on that platform.
Muratalla was recently raised to the full IBF champion status of 135 pounds on June 9 after previous champion Vasily Lomachenko retired. For that, Muratalla was the IBF-Tuss-enthusiast champion after winning the title with a 12-round decision on Zaur Abdullaev on May 10 in San Diego, California.
Last updated on 08/27/2025
