Boxing results: Martin Murray downs Max Bursak in Monaco, Budler retains title

Martin Murray won his third straight today in Monte Carlo, rather easily handling Max Bursak over 12 rounds to win on scores of 119-109, 119-109, and 117-112, keeping himself potentially in line for a world title shot against Gennady Golovkin by the end of this year.

Murray (28-1-1, 12 KO) was somewhat pedestrian in his performance today, but without question got the job done, outclassing the limited Bursak (29-3-1, 12 KO), who dropped his second straight bout after a loss in February to Jarrod Fletcher, also in Monte Carlo.

If Murray and promoter Rodney Berman are indeed targeting the WBA title, Golovkin will next be in action on July 26 against Daniel Geale. It's no gimme, but a fight that Golovkin is favored to win, and Gennady has enjoyed fighting in Monaco a couple of times already, as he tries to stay busier than the HBO budget would allow him to be fighting strictly with the network.

On the undercard, Hekkie Budler (26-1, 9 KO) retained the WBA strawweight title with a KO-8 win over Pigmy Kokietgym (52-7-2, 22 KO), flooring his challenger three times; Youri Kayembre Kalenga (20-1, 13 KO) scored a mild upset over Mateusz Masternak (32-2, 23 KO) on split decision scores of 116-112, 115-113, and 113-115; and Doudou Ngumbu (33-5, 12 KO) beat Johnny Muller (16-4-2, 12 KO) by points in a ten-round light heavyweight fight.