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 suitable to change 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 beginner standout from Uzbekistan returned with a win a complete win over beforehand unbeaten Kevin Gonzalez (TKO 8) final December. He hoped that will result in a long-awaited struggle with Inoue.
Nevertheless, it seems Inoue will face TJ Doheny in September earlier than all being properly rounding out the 12 months in opposition to IBF necessary Sam Goodman, leaving Akhmadaliev with no dance accomplice.
“I really feel like I used to be purported to struggle Inoue when Tapales fought him,” Akhmadaliev (12-1, 9 knockouts) instructed The Ring. “Tapales didn’t have a lot success in opposition to him and I really feel I generally is a way more aggressive struggle.
“I’m not in a rush to struggle him, I can struggle him in December however I do consider they won’t struggle me. Clearly, TJ Doheny just isn’t a prime contender within the weight class proper now.”
In truth, Akhmadaliev was comfortable to go a step additional.
“I consider they’re making an attempt to keep away from the struggle with me,” he mentioned. “It seems like with him being such a legend and pound-for-pound fighter that he ought to be preventing 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, desires his fighter to be acknowledged and never handed over.
“Once more there’s no rush however on the similar time I don’t assume the struggle will occur,” mentioned Kornilov. “It appears Inoue is on the lookout for a better struggle proper now with TJ Doheny and in December, I’m assuming they’ll go one other means or change the burden class at that time and attempt to keep away from a struggle with MJ.
“If we’re taking a look at what’s occurring in Saudi Arabia, the very best are preventing the very best and that is a kind of fights, the place the very best would meet the most effective within the division and that is the place you possibly can show you’re the very best, not by preventing different guys which have already been overwhelmed quite a few occasions.”
Akhmadaliev, who’s the WBA necessary and Kornilov appear to have a degree 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 could be a major step up.
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