Japanese undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue and Uzbek contender Murodjon Akhmadaliev are finally set to clash head-to-head. The confirmation of their fight, set to headline a Ohasi Promotions card in Japan, draws a close to a one-year saga where Inoue had faced three different opponents over the span of a year, despite Akhmadaliev’s position as a mandatory challenger. The IG Arena in Nagoya, Aichi, is set to host the card on September 14.
Naoya Inoue (30-0, 27 KO’s) was supposed to face Murodjon Akhmadaliev (14-1, 11 KO’s) more than a year ago after the WBA ordered the two to fight in June of 2024, but the Japanese superstar ended up avoiding his obligations with three subsequent opponents that were not mandatories.
With the WBA further refusing to re-order the fight after first granting Inoue an exemption to face TJ Doheny instead of Akhmadaliev, the sanctioning body further complicated matters by granting Akhmadaliev the opportunity to become the WBA interim super bantamweight (122 lbs) champion ― which would prevent the Uzbek contender from facing Inoue through any other organization.
As a mandate by the WBA for the two to fight remained absent, Akhmadaliev remained in a virtual state of limbo for roughly a year as he was unable to compete for world titles in his own division due to Inoue’s grasp over all of the four 122-pound titles.
Despite Akhmadaliev’s status as a mandatory challenger and eventually an interim champion, Inoue arguably fought three dubious contenders in Doheny (26-6, 20 KO’s), stand-in opponent Yeen Joo Kim and Ramon Cardenas ― all fighters who were not outright considered to be worthy title challengers.
Akhmadaliev, a former world champion before he lost his WBA and IBF titles in a tight contest against Filipino challenger Marlon Tapales (40-4, 21 KO’s), is generally considered to be the #1 contender due to his pedigree, ability and current status as the WBA interim champion and top contender.
In a recent press conference announcing the upcoming fight, Inoue himself would reiterate Akhmadaliev’s likely position as the strongest opponent he’s faced since defeating unified champion Stephen Fulton in 2023:
“He’s [Akhmadaliev] the strongest opponent I’m facing in my career,” Inoue told media during a presser held in Tokyo.
“I’ll be gearing up with vigilance, staying on my guard. It’s okay to win by a decision this time.“
