Former unified super bantamweight champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev admits he may need to leave the 122-pound division rather than wait years for another opportunity against undisputed champion Naoya Inoue.
Akhmadaliev (14-2, 11 KOs) returns Friday against Hegly Mosqueda in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, but the former IBF/WBA champion already sounds realistic about his position in a division controlled by Inoue.
“My goals haven’t changed, world titles and the biggest fights available,” Akhmadaliev told The Ring. “I’m comfortable at 122, but am open to moving up to 126 for the right opportunity.
“I’m realistic about the situation. If Inoue stays at 122, it could take a couple of years to get another shot, and I don’t want to wait. So I’m open to chasing titles in another division. If he moves up and vacates, then I’ll go after the belts at 122.”
The comments are notable because Akhmadaliev is still The Ring’s #1 contender at super bantamweight despite suffering a wide defeat to Inoue last September. Even so, there appears to be little demand for an immediate rematch after Inoue dominated much of the fight.
Instead, Inoue has bigger options at 122 pounds, including potential fights against Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez and other unbeaten contenders that fans have shown far more interest in seeing.
Akhmadaliev also suggested he no longer wants to remain inactive while waiting for the division to clear up around Inoue.
“I’m happy to be back in the ring. It’s been a while, probably longer than I wanted, but we were waiting on the right opportunities,” said Akhmadaliev.
“At this point, we decided it’s time to move forward and get active.”
The 30-year-old returns home for only the second time as a professional when he faces Venezuela’s Hegly Mosqueda (27-1, 20 KOs) on May 29th at Humo Arena.
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Last Updated on 2026/05/28 at 10:00 AM
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