Simply moments in the past, by way of a message put out on X by promoter Eddie Hearn, it was introduced {that a} battle between Naoya Inoue and Murodjon Akhmadaliev has been signed. The battle occurring is, in fact, reliant on “Monster” Inoue, the unified four-belt tremendous bantamweight champion, coming via okay on the weekend, when he’ll battle Ramon Cardenas, this in Las Vegas in Inoue’s first battle again on US soil in some years.
“Achieved deal, lastly!! Uzbek Energy vs The Monster. Finest battle within the division,” Hearn wrote, clearly while excited.
And why not be enthusiastic about this battle? For a while, “MJ” because the once-beaten Akhmadaliev is understood, has accused Inoue of ducking and dodging him. Now, Inoue, 29-0(26) will look to silence the person from Uzbekistan as soon as and for all. Murodjon is 13-1(10) and he has been overwhelmed solely by frequent opponent Marlon Tapales, who edged him on factors in a detailed one again in April of 2023, with “MJ” dropping his WBA and IBF tremendous bantamweight titles after having logged up three retentions.
Since dropping to Tapales (who Inoue stopped to turn into unified 122-pound king in December of 2023), Akhmadaliev has gained two in a row. In his final battle, in December, “MJ” crushed Ricardo Espinoza Franco in spectacular vogue to turn into the interim WBA champion. Now, probably in Tokyo on September 14th, Akhmadaliev will get the large battle he has been calling for.
However will “The Monster” make Akhmadaliev remorse getting what he requested for? Once more, Inoue has to get previous the 26-1(14) Mexican referred to as “Dinamita,” however though Cardenas has by no means been stopped, most followers really feel Inoue will get the job completed in fashion at The T-Cell.
Inoue, it has now been confirmed, isn’t any ducker. Inoue goals to cease Cardenas, then Akhmadaliev, then it might both be an all-Japanese tremendous battle with Junto Nakatani, or perhaps a transfer as much as the featherweight division for Inoue, and perhaps a battle with thrilling, all-action British warrior Nick Ball.