Boxing

Naoya Inoue vs Murodjon Akhmadaliev A "Done Deal"

One of the most anticipated super-bantamweight fights will happen, according to top promoter.
Johan Alyas Blanco|
IMAGO / AFLOSPORT

Undisputed super-bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue is making his return to the ring this Sunday, but it looks like his next opponent is lined up, and it comes in the form of Uzbek power.

Promoter Eddie Hearn posting on "X" today, saying a bout between Inoue (29-0, 26 KOs) and former unified super bantamweight champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev was a done deal. According to Lance Pugmire, the fight could happen on Sept. 14 in Japan.

The fight is arguably the best one that could be made at 122 lbs. "The Monster" currently holds every belt in the division, including the Ring Magazine title, while Akhmadaliev (13-1, 10 KOs) is ranked No. 2 at super-bantamweight, according to Ring Magazine. He is also the WBA mandatory to "The Monster."

"MJ" has been clamoring for a fight against Inoue for awhile, calling out the undisputed champion after his last bout. The top contender even brought up his time as unified champion, adding fuel to the fire.

"He just needs to explain. Because when I was the champion, I followed the rules and he should follow the rules as well. I had mandatories, I was fighting with them without any discussion."
Akhmadaliev

Akhmadaliev has won two fights in a row since suffering his only loss to Marlon Tapales by split decision in April 2023. He first stopped Kevin Gonzalez in the 8th round on Dec. 16th, 2023. Then, he captured the WBA interim title, stopping Ricardo Espinoza Franco in the 3rd round on Dec. 14th, 2024.

Inoue is currently on a run of a lifetime. He is a four-division world champion, while also becoming undisputed in two weight classes. Early this year, he knocked out late-replacement Kim Ye-joon in the 4th round on Jan. 24. Originally, he was supposed to fight the undefeated Sam Goodman, with the fight scheduled twice beforehand. However, Goodman (19-0, 8 KOs) pulled out both times with an eye injury.

Inoue has to first get past Ramon Cardenas on Sunday before any future fights can be made official.

Cardenas (26-1, 14 KOs) is currently on a 14-fight win streak, last beating Bryan Acosta by unanimous decision on Feb. 8th. He is currently the No. 9 ranked super-bantamweight on the Ring Magazine's rankings.

2025 looks to be a busy year for "the Monster", and it starts this weekend. Inoue vs. Cardenas is May 4th at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It will streamed live on ESPN+.

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Johan Alyas Blanco
JOHAN ALYAS BLANCO

Johan Alyas Blanco is a writer for KO On SI. Before joining in March 2025, he worked as a News Producer in Tallahassee and Orlando. He also works for several fight promotions in boxing and MMA, working on social media content. When he’s not writing, Alyas covers boxing on his own YouTube channel, The Split Decision. Blanco has a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from UCF, with a minor in sports business management. Alyas has interviewed several big names in combat sports, including Jorge Masvidal, Edgar Berlanga and Brian Norman Jr. His goal is to bring boxing back to prominence.

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