Raymond Muratalla is ready to make the first defense of his IBF lightweight title.
Negotiations are underway for a fight to take place between Muratalla and Floyd Schofield in November on
DAZN,
The Ring has learned, per multiple sources directly involved with the deal.
The deal would require Top Rank, which represents Muratalla, and Golden Boy, which represents
Schofield, to find a common ground and get the deal over the finish line,
something they weren’t able to do earlier this month as they tried to make a fight between Vergil Ortiz and WBO junior middleweight titleholder Xander Zayas.
Top Rank has the champion in Muratalla, but its operating without a broadcast partner after ESPN opted not to renew its deal with the promotional company once their agreement expired in July. Golden Boy has a streaming partner in DAZN to complement a highly qualified contender in “Kid Austin” Schofield.
Schofield (19-0, 13 KOs) is coming off a sensational
first-round stoppage win against former 130-pound titleholder Tevin Farmer in June. The prolific performance washed away the sour saga Schofield endured in February when he pulled out the week of his scheduled fight against Shakur Stevenson, citing illness.
Muratalla (23-0, 17 KOs) picked up the interim IBF belt in May
when he beat Zaur Abdullaev and was
elevated to the sanctioning body’s full titleholder in June after Vasiliy Lomachenko announced his retirement. Muratalla, a 28-year-old from Southern California, fought Farmer last year and scored a 10-round unanimous decision.
Schofield, a 23-year-old based in San Antonio, Texas, is rated No. 3 by the IBF.
Andy Cruz is the sanctioning body’s No. 1 challenger, a spot he earned by stopping Hironori Mishiro inside five rounds in June.
Muratalla and Cruz were in separate negotiations earlier this summer to secure a fight in November, but a deal could not be reached.
Manouk Akopyan is The Ring’s lead writer. Follow him on X and Instagram: @ManoukAkopyan