A bout targeted for this spring will first have to go the purse bid route.

The Ring has confirmed that the IBF-ordered Raymond Muratalla-Zaur Abdullaev interim lightweight title fight will head to a Feb. 4 purse bid hearing. The two sides have been in talks since Jan. 8 when the sanctioning body assigned a 15-day negotiation period.

It appeared that things were trending towards locking in a planned April 5 date for the secondary title fight. However, Top Rank and RCC Boxing—the promoters for Muratalla (22-0, 17 KOs) and Abdullaev (20-1, 12 KOs), respectively—could not get the fight over the line in time to satisfy if the IBF deadline.

A deal can still be reached up to 15 minutes prior to the purse bid hearing, which will be hosted via Zoom from IBF headquarters in Springfield, New Jersey. The session is open to all IBF-registered promoters, though Top Rank and RCC will likely be the only two bidders.

RCC Boxing, Abdullaev’s promoter, acknowledged that the two sides are already in negotiations for a showdown eyed for later this spring.

Muratalla (22-0, 17 KOs) is The Ring’s No. 7 lightweight contender and No. 4 with the IBF.

Abdullaev is the IBF’s highest rated lightweight at No. 2, with the No. 1 spot vacant given there is no current mandatory challenger.

Three-division titlist and former RING lightweight champ Vasiliy Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) is the current IBF lightweight beltholder. However, The Ring’s No. 2 lightweight is still recovering from a back injury and remains uncertain about his future in the sport.

Lomachenko has not fought since his eleventh-round knockout of George Kambosos (21-3, 10 KOs) in their vacant IBF lightweight title clash between former RING/unified lightweight champions last May 12 in Perth, Western Australia.

Abdullaev’s lone defeat came in a Sept. 2019 fourth-round stoppage to Devin Haney in New York City. The setback came with the interim WBC lightweight title at stake, which Haney (31-0, 15 KOs; 1 No-Contest) rode all the way to The Ring and undisputed championship status before he moved up in weight in 2023.

Nine wins have followed for Abdulalev. The run includes triumphs over former titlists Dejan Zlaticanin, Jorge Linares and Roger Gutierrez.

The fight that put him in IBF title contention, IBF, however, was his lone road trip over that stretch. Abdullaev stopped Juan Javier Carrasco in the 12th round of their title eliminator for the No. 2 spot last Oct. 19 in Ciudad Mendoza, Argentina.

Muratalla skyrocketed from budding prospect to rising contender. The Robert Garcia-trained lightweight landed firmly on the contender stage after a May 2023 second-round knockout of former title challenger Jeremia Nakathila in Las Vegas.

Four more wins have followed, including a ten-round decision over former IBF 130-pound titlist Tevin Farmer (33-7-1, 8 KOs) last July 13 also in Vegas. Muratalla defeated Jesus A. Perez via second-round knockout in his most recent bout last Nov. 2 in Verona, New York.

If Lomachenko proceeds with his career, he will be ordered to face the Muratalla-Abdullaev winner. Otherwise, said victor will eventually elevate to full IBF titleholder.

Jake Donovan is part of the U.S. team for The Ring. Follow Jake on X and Instagram.