Nikita Tszyu is happy for his brother Tim to have another shot at world honors against current champion Bakhram Murtazaliev. Meanwhile, the 26-year-old southpaw is scheduled for the next fight of his own against fellow-Australian Koen Mazoudier at ICC Sydney Theatre on August 28.
Unbeaten Nikita Tszyu (9-0, 7 KOs) is coming off the win by unanimous decision against Danilo Creati in April. Koen Mazoudier (12-3-1, 5 KOs) returned to winning ways in March, when he stopped Travis Druce in the fifth round. The pair squares off in the scheduled for 10 rounds main event bout at super welterweight. The vacant IBF Australasian and WBO Intercontinental belts are on the line.
“I’m expecting him [Mazoudier] to do a little bit of everything, to be on the back foot, to be coming forward at times, and for these transitions to be quite explosive,” Nikita Tszyu said following a recent training session. “But, you can just come out of nowhere and just start going forward, or you can just go start going backwards. I’m just prepared for two different types of Koen’s.”
“I’m just getting used to it [fighting in the main event]. It’s probably like second nature to me. Learning that it’s part of the business, and try and be entertaining for the public.”
“My final sparring was last week and now I’ve tapered off. I’ve personally felt a huge shift. But, I felt the shift in my progressions when I was here back in Sydney, and just the stuff that I was doing there was just kind of adding to it. It’s proof that I’m progressing, that I’m on a nice steady incline.”
Former WBO 154-pound champion Tim Tszyu is expected to challenge current IBF titleholder Bakhram Murtazaliev. While not officially confirmed, the bout has been rumored to take place in Florida on October 19.
29-year-old Sydney native Tim Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs) lost his belt in March by split decision against Sebastian Fundora. Oxnard, California-based 31-year-old Bakhram Murtazaliev (22-0, 16 KOs) earned the vacant title by knockout in the 11th round against Jack Culcay in April.
When asked whether he had been sparring his brother, Nikita Tszyu said: “No, not this time around. He is not sparring a southpaw, and I don’t have a death wish.”
“I actually enjoy having Tim around, because whenever the cameras are out, they are focused on him, and I can kind of chill out. So he takes the heavy lifting.”
“It’s great that he’s [Tim] still in that same position, that he kind of deserves that elite world ranked fighter. I think it’s going to be a great fight, because he gets another title, becomes a two time world champ. He’s got a very tricky opponent.”
Among the bouts featured on the Tszyu vs Mazoudier undercard, Michael Zerafa (31-5, 19 KOs) faces Tommy Browne (45-8-2, 19 KOs) in an all-Australian eight-round contest at super welterweight. Plus, Australia-based Conor Wallace (13-1, 10 KOs) of Northern Ireland and New Zealand-based Jerome Pampellone (18-1, 11 KOs) of the UK clash in a 12-rounder at light heavyweight.