Former two-division world champion David Morrell (11-1, 9 KOs) will face unbeaten light heavyweight contender Imam Khataev (10-0, 9 KOs) on the July 12th Ring Magazine card, live on DAZN in New York City.
Morrell vs. Khataev will be on the undercard. It’s unknown who will be in the main event. The 2020 Olympian Khataev, 30, is ranked #6 IBF and #7 WBC at 175. This could be the best fight on the card if Morrell chooses to stand and slug with Khaev.
The Cuban talent Morrell is arguably the hardest puncher in the 175-lb division, and has the power to knock the flat-footed Khataev out if he chooses to slug. Morrell has the boxing skills to outbox Khataev, but he would have to move a lot. If his goal is to outshine the other notable names on the July 12th card, Morrell needs to stand his ground.
The only notable fighters he’s faced are Ricards Bolotniks and Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna. Khataev knocked out both of them, but looked slow, blocky, and muscle-bound. In the 2020 Olympics, Khataev looked limited, losing to Ben Whittaker by a three-round decision.
Morrell, #2 WBA, #2 WBC, and #3 WBO, is coming off a 12-round unanimous decision loss to David Benavidez on February 1st in a competitive fight in Las Vegas. Morrell, 27, made a mistake by waiting until the last two rounds to start slugging with Benavidez.
When he finally did, he had a lot of success, landing big shots and dropping Benavidez in the 11th round. Morrell is going to need to fight aggressively against Khataev because hie’s going to be pressuring him nonstop throughout the fight. If Morrell tries to box, he might wind up losing a decision to Khataev.
It appears that Morrell-Khataev fight will be buried deep on the July 12th undercard. That’s too bad, but the more popular fighters are going to be given higher slots on the card.
Khataev is coming off a grueling 10-round unanimous decision last month against Durval Elias Palaci on March 22nd. He took a lot of punishment in the process of beating Palaci.
Boxing News 24 » David Morrell Battles Rising Force Imam Khataev on July 12th in New York City
Last Updated on 04/20/2025
