Andy Cruz Vs. Raymond Muratalla This Saturday At The Fontainebleau Las Vegas

Muratala was promoted to full champion following Vasiliy Lomachenko’s retirement, opening the door to an immediate mandatory defence. Cruz earned his position through a meteoric rise up the IBF rankings, which culminated in a win over Hironori Michiru last June. The result is an unusual match on paper. Champion with momentum. A competitor with only six professional fights under his belt.

Eddie Hearn described Cruz as one of the most complete fighters he has worked with, even as Cuban’s public image lagged behind others in the division. Lack of interest has been linked more to size than belief. Cruz did not rush to make frequent appearances. Saturday changes that equation.

Despite his 6-0 record, Cruz is widely viewed within the sport as a high-level talent who is still at an early stage of his professional development. The title, shot on January 24, marks his first opportunity to turn that reputation into hardware.

In preparation, Matchroom Boxing released behind-the-scenes footage from Cruz’s camp, providing a look at his daily routine and preparation.

“This fight is the most important fight of my career,” Cruz told Matchroom. “At this moment I just had to prove it. I want to put on a great show and still be champion that night.”

Cruz trains out of Philadelphia under Derek Busey Ennis, sharing gym time with Jaron Ennis. Those in the gym said his talent was evident early on, but the focus was on adaptation rather than renewal.

“My style comes from Cuba,” Cruz said. “Instead of changing it, I made adjustments. A combination of Cuban boxing and what I learned here can give good results. Talent without work is nothing.”

Saturday tests whether that combination holds up over a dozen rounds against a pressure fighter who has already proven he belongs at championship level. If that happens, Cruise’s short resume won’t be the first thing people mention.

The Raymond Muratalla – Andy Cruz event will take place on Saturday, January 24, 2026, live on DAZN, and will likely begin streaming as early as 4:00pm ET / 1:00pm PT / 9:00pm UK, with the main card expected to be around 8:00pm ET / 5:00pm PT / 1:00am UK (Sunday), likely with ringwalks At about the same time.

Moratala vs Cruz:

• Harley Medeiros (9-0, 8 KOs) vs. Rene Viamonte Mastrapa (4-3-1, 2 KOs), super lightweight
• Omari Jones (4-0, 4 KOs) vs. Jerome Baxter (7-0, 3 KOs), super welterweight
• Ronnie Alvarez (5-0, 4 KOs) vs. Braulio Matias Ferreira (7-2, 2 KOs), super middleweight
• Caipo Gallegos (10-0-1, 8 KOs) vs. Wilson Akinocho (3-0), lightweight
• Zaken Moses (5-0, 3 KOs) vs. Leandro Damian Medina (7-2-1, 4 KOs), super featherweight
• Jorge Ruiz (2-0, 2 KOs) vs. Austin Joel (2-0-1, 2 KOs), featherweight