JOSH KELLY will have a familiar but unfriendly face waiting for him if he lands the IBF super-welterweight world title on Saturday.
Germany’s WBA’s 154lb boss Abass Baraou trained alongside Sunderland’s 31-year-old challenger, under coach , before he moved to Miami in 2023.
Josh Kelly fights Bakhram Murtazaliev for the world titleCredit: Getty
And Abass Baraou is open to a future fight with KellyCredit: Getty
And he has a dangerous defence against Xander Zayas on Saturday in his Puerto Rico backyard.
But if the 31-year-old can keep up his brilliant form – and the handsome Mackem can pull off an upset against undefeated Russian champ Bakhram Murtazaliev at the Newcastle arena – then the pair could be reunited in a beautiful unification clash.
However Baraou revealed that four years working together in Surrey – alongside and Mick Conlan – did not spawn a beautiful friendship and a fight would be more than welcome.
Baraou told SunSport: “I don’t really consider him as a friend.
“I know him well, we trained together but my friends from the gym were Mick and Harlem Eubank, the ones you’ve seen around me.
“So if it comes to a potential fight, we’ll go for it.”
Kelly has bundles of natural ability but has so far failed to maximise the promise that took him to the 2016 Rio Olympics, where he was only knocked out by the eventual gold winner.
The punishing 2021 welterweight defeat to David Avanesyan left him
The Home of Boxing in 2026
There's a massive year of boxing ahead!
It’s shaping up to be a blockbuster year of action inside the boxing ring.
is expected to make his return, is closing in on a world title shot and Fabio Wardley will defend his newly won heavyweight crown.
Canelo Alvarez will be hoping to return after his defeat to Terence Crawford and heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk will also need to defend his straps.
Derek Chisora could fight for the 50th and final time and Daniel Dubois is also on the comeback trail.
A whole bunch of British stars could also take a leap into superstardom, with the likes of , Hamzah Sheeraz and Adam Azim ready to join the very top of the sport.
Up first we have a massive fight with Stateside superstars and Teofimo Lopez meeting later this month in Madison Square Garden.
Here’s all the big fights coming up…
January
- Sat 24 – Raymond Muratalla vs Andy Cruz – IBF lightweight title – DAZN
- Sat 31 – Teofimo Lopez vs Shakur Stevenson – WBO super-lightweight title – DAZN PPV
- Sat 31 – Bakhram Murtazaliev vs Josh Kelly – IBF super-welterweight title – DAZN
- Sat 31 – Francesca Hennessy vs Ellie Bouttell – BBC2
February
- Sat 7 – Nick Ball vs Brandon Figueroa – WBA featherweight title – DAZN
- Sat 21 – Ryan Garcia vs Mario Barrios – WBC welterweight title – DAZN PPV
- Sat 21 – Leigh Wood vs Josh Warrington – DAZN
- Sun 22 – Claressa Shields vs Franchon Crews-Dezurn – heavyweight unification – DAZN
- Sat 28 – Emanuel Navarrete vs Eduardo Nunez – super-featherweight unification – DAZN
March
But a move up in weight and seven wins – the best coming against Troy Williamson in 2022 – has landed him a mandatory shot on home soil.
But Baraou has not seen enough – up close and very personal – to believe wholeheartedly that he topples the Soviet slugger.
He told us: “Josh has all the talents, of course, he’s a very skillful and talented guy, he can do many things. But it’s up to him to deliver on fight night.
“Murtazaliev is no joke, he has proved many times that he is a dangerous guy. He is one of the top guys in the division.
“So it’s just up to Josh to show us more than he has been showing lately, and hopefully he can pull it off. Then I can come for his title next.”
Baraou, whose parents moved to Germany from Togo, has had to go on the road to earn his belt, grabbing wins on the road from Dubai to Bolton.
So he has no qualms about returning to the UK if Kelly has some hardware to put on the line.
“It will only be interesting if he has the belt” he said. “Everything else doesn’t really bother me.
“I’m doing my own things here, I’m moving my own way.
“Josh is a great talent, he just needs to deliver and I hope he does, so we can fight for both belts.
“But, if not, then it’s not really my, you know, cup of tea, as you English would say.”
Abass Baraou was good friends with Harlem Eubank, but not KellyCredit: @abassbaraou
Murtazaliev is the IBF championCredit: Getty
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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