Former WBA and IBF super bantamweight champion Murodjon ‘MJ’ Akhmadaliev 12-1 (9) believes it should be him standing across the ring from WBC and WBO 122-pound champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue 25-0 (22) at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan on December 26.
Instead that dubious honour will go to his lone conqueror Marlon ‘Nightmare’ Tapales 37-3 (19) after the 31-year-old Filipino southpaw lifted the two belts from him via split decision in San Antonio, Texas in April.
The scores for the fight were 118-110 for Akhmadaliev and 115-113 twice for Tapales. The 29-year-old Uzbek lefty insists he deserved the nod in that bout.
Akhmadaliev returned to action on Saturday night, delivering a systematic beatdown of previously undefeated Mexican southpaw Kevin Gonzalez 26-1-1 (13) at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, stopping him late in the eighth.
“I was very well prepared it’s been a long camp. I stayed in camp for like four month for this fight because we didn’t have an exact date,” Akhmadaliev said.
“I just came out and performed. I was in good shape good discipline you know I didn’t underestimate my opponent. I prepared for a tough fight and came out with a performance.
“You know what, that was very important for me to come and perform and show who’s the better, who’s the stronger, who’s the smarter, who’s the champion here.
“Sometimes you lose in the fights but win in life. That that was a tough lesson. I know that I won the fight but judges saw it differently, so it gave me a lesson to never let anything slide away from you.
“I started too slow, I underestimated my opponent, I had made mistakes in training camp. I didn’t take him too seriously, so now I changed some things.
“I’m more disciplined, I don’t gain too much weight in between the fights and stuff like that. That shows I know that physically, mentally and technically I’m the best guy in the division and I can prove it against against anyone.
“If they are saying this guy is good, I can beat him. If they saying this guy is the best, I can beat all of them.”
Akhmadaliev is demanding a shot at the winner of Inoue vs Tapales on Boxing Day.
“To me it’s very important it’s the most important fight in my life, the opportunity to fight for four world titles, for undisputed,” he said.
“For me, the most important is my two titles because I believe that they belong to me and that’s something that I want, but I have I have a huge amount of respect for both fighters.
“I respect every single fighter in the world. I have nothing against Tapales, I know that he is not the one who scored the fight. I believe that whoever is going to win the fight, that I can beat any any of those guys.”
Akhmadaliev added that while some fans abandoned him after his first professional loss, he was eternally grateful to those who stuck with him.
“When I came back there there was not so many people who would support me after the defeat and right now I just want to show that I’m still best fighter in this division and that I’m coming back,” Akhmadaliev said.
“I thank you everyone who stayed with me in the tough times.”