Murodjon Akhmadaliev Reigns Over Ricardo Espinoza Stopping Him In The Third Round

By Isaac Nyamungu

Former unified junior featherweight champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev made quick work of Rafael Espinoza on Saturday in Monte Carlo, retaining his interim super bantamweight title. He further made clear case for himself to fight undisputed champion Naoya Inoue in 2025.

Akhmadaliev put Espinoza down three times en route to an explosive stoppage in the third round, where he got the TKO victory.

Akhmadaliev “MJ” (12-1, 9 KOs) of Uzbekistan made his first ring appearance of the year and aimed for his second straight conquest. Espinoza (30-4, 25 KOs) of Mexico won two fights in 2024 by way of stoppage

Akhmadaliev embarked on the ring ready to dismantle his opponent. In a slightly cautious first round, he got on the ring in the second-round firebrand. He continuously landed the right jab, hooks, as well as uppercuts on the head and body of the rival, which was outmatched.

Coupled with the fact that he’s a talented and very dependable competitor, Akhmadaliev (13-1, 10 KO) is the best contestant available at 122 lbs partly by process of elimination, as Inoue has simply flattened all of the other top contestants, like Marlon Tapales after Tapales upset Akhmadaliev in 2023.

At the onset of the 3rd round, things took tall on Espinoza. Halfway through the round, Indio, California-based former unified champion rendered Espinoza off-balance with a straight left to the chin. He landed several punches before going doing for the second time. Thus, the referee had to intervene to bring the match to a halt.

It’s a second straight triumph for the Uzbek southpaw since that loss, as he conquered Kevin Gonzalez about a year ago.

Elsewhere, Inoue is set to face Sam Goodman on Jan. 24, which is the new date after that bout was deferred from its initial Christmas Eve date in Tokyo.

Espinoza was over-matched yet he absolutely came to contest, and threw what he had at “MJ” after both of the first two knockdowns, recklessly marching into the awaiting fists of his rival. The Tijuana native certainly went out on his shield.

It is clear that Akhmadaliev, 30, has carved out a reputation among boxing enthusiasts as a high-pressure fighter who blends power alongside precision. This explains why he was the unified champion for 3 years until he met Marlon Tapales and fought a strictly contested encounter. A split decision shattered his perfect record, but you must have watched the highlights of what he did next. A success by a KO in the very next match. The Chust native brags a record of 12-1 with 9 KOs. He has a KO ratio of 75%, which mirrors his effective but heavy hitting.