Former unified super bantamweight champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev admits he may have to leave the 122-pound division rather than wait years for another opportunity against undisputed champion Naoya Inoue.
Akhmadaliev (14-2, 11 KOs) returns to action against Hegly Mosqueda in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on Friday, but the former IBF/WBA champion already sounds realistic about his position in a division controlled by Inoue.
“My goals have not changed, world titles and the biggest fights available,” said Akhmadaliev 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 might take a few 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, 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 major loss 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 undefeated contenders that fans have shown much more interest in seeing.
Akhmadaliev also suggested that he no longer wanted to remain inactive while waiting for the division around Inoue to clear up.
“I’m happy to be back in the ring. It’s been a while, probably longer than I wanted, but we’ve been waiting for the right opportunities,” says Akhmadaliev.
“At this point, we decided it was 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 29 at Humo Arena.
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Last updated on 05/28/2026 at 10:00 AM
