Had Murodjon Akhmadaliev not misplaced his IBF and WBA junior featherweight titles to Marlon Tapales final April, he’d have been entrance and middle to face Naoya Inoue for the best to turn into the undisputed champion.
As everyone knows, Akhmadaliev, rated at No. 3 by The Ring at junior featherweight, was controversially overwhelmed by Tapales, thus shedding his bargaining chips. The Filipino parlayed that triumph into the Inoue sweepstakes and was finally stopped in 10 rounds.
In the meantime, the previous novice standout from Uzbekistan returned with a win a complete win over beforehand unbeaten Kevin Gonzalez (TKO 8) final December. He hoped that might result in a long-awaited battle with Inoue.
Nevertheless, it seems Inoue will face TJ Doheny in September earlier than all being effectively rounding out the yr towards IBF necessary Sam Goodman, leaving Akhmadaliev with no dance associate.
“I really feel like I used to be speculated to battle Inoue when Tapales fought him,” Akhmadaliev (12-1, 9 knockouts) instructed The Ring. “Tapales didn’t have a lot success towards him and I really feel I generally is a way more aggressive battle.
“I’m not in a rush to battle him, I can battle him in December however I do imagine they won’t battle me. Clearly, TJ Doheny isn’t a prime contender within the weight class proper now.”
The truth is, Akhmadaliev was completely satisfied to go a step additional.
“I imagine they’re making an attempt to keep away from the battle with me,” he stated. “It appears like with him being such a legend and pound-for-pound fighter that he must be combating prime opposition even when they’re not mandatories and I really feel I’m one of many prime fighters within the division.”
His supervisor Vadim Kornilov, who additionally works with Dmitry Bivol and a slew of different prime Uzbek fighters together with Israil Madrimov, needs his fighter to be acknowledged and never handed over.
“Once more there’s no rush however on the identical time I don’t assume the battle will occur,” stated Kornilov. “It appears Inoue is in search of a better battle proper now with TJ Doheny and in December, I’m assuming they’ll go one other manner or change the burden class at that time and attempt to keep away from a battle with MJ.
“If we’re what’s taking place in Saudi Arabia, the perfect are combating the perfect and that is a type of fights, the place the perfect would meet the most effective within the division and that is the place you’ll be able to show you’re the perfect, not by combating different guys which have already been overwhelmed quite a few occasions.”
Akhmadaliev, who’s the WBA necessary and Kornilov appear to have some extent and are extra worthy than Doheny (26-4, 20 knockouts). Nevertheless, the 37-year-old Irish-born Australia resident, who’s The Ring’s No. 8-rated 122-pound fighter, is well-known and regarded in Japanese circles, going 4-0 there, notably besting Ryosuke Iwasa (UD 12) in 2018. His final three outings, all wins, inside the gap, have additionally taken place there. Although good wins, Inoue can be a major step up.
Questions and/or feedback may be despatched to Anson at [email protected].
