Naoya Inoue vs MJ Akhmadaliev Sunday Fight Under the Radar

On any other weekend, the undisputed super bantamweight title fight between Naoya Inoue and mandatory challenger Murodjon “MJ” Akhmadaliev would dominate boxing headlines.

But this weekend, the megafight between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford is sucking all the oxygen out of the room, at least among North American boxing fans.

It’s not helping matters that the only platform being given to the fight for American fans is the Top Rank Boxing Facebook page. Yes, this is the only place you’ll be able to see the fight card live, starting with undercard fights at 4 a.m. ET/1 a.m. PT. Ringwalks for the main event are expected at approximately 6:40 a.m. ET/3:40 a.m. PT from IG Arena in Nagoya, Japan.

Both fighters made weight, Inoue at 121.7 pounds and Akhmadaliev at 121.3 pounds.

Inoue of Nagoya (30-0, 27 KOs), age 32, is making his sixth title defense at super bantamweight, and the fifth defense as an undisputed champion since December 2023, when he knocked out fellow unified champion Marlon Tapales to unify all the belts.

It’s worth noting that Inoue defeated Tapales for the belts he needed in his undisputed collection after Tapales won it from Akhmadaliev in a narrow majority decision in San Antonio in 2023.

Akhmadliev of Uzbekistan (14-1, 11 KOs), age 30, has won three fights in a row by knockout since losing to Tapales, and he’s had a laser focus on working his way back to championship status. But that path goes through one of the best pound for pound boxers in the world.

Timing Right For Inoue Upset by MJ?

Murodjon Akhmadaliev presented Naoya Inoue and his team with ceremonial Uzbek robes as gifts at this week’s news conference in Japan. Photo: Naoki Fukuda for Top Rank

The timing could be ideal for Akhmadaliev, or at least as good as it gets. The fearsome four-division champion and two-division undisputed champion has shown a few slight cracks in his armor, suffering two knockdowns in recent fights, including the shocker by underdog Ramon Cardenas last May in Las Vegas.

Nevertheless, Inoue got to his feet and roared back for an eighth-round knockout win against Cardenas on May 4.

Akhmadaliev, trained by Joel Diaz along with a large stable of Uzbek fighters at his gym in Indio, California, has waited not so patiently for Inoue, feeling bypassed and paid step-aside money. Matchroom Sport chairman Eddie Hearn has commented multiple times about Inoue ducking MJ.

With plans already reported in the works for Inoue to face David Picasso of Mexico in Riyadh in December, Inoue must first win his fight on Sunday, and it’s not a walk in the park.

Murodjon Akhmadaliev’s southpaw jab, seen here against Ricardo Espinoza in December, will be an asset against Naoya Inoue. Photo: Mark Robinson, Matchroom Boxing

Akhmadaliev is an accomplished and experienced amateur from the powerhouse Uzbek system, having won an Olympic bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Games. Like many of his talented countrymen, he has outstanding timing and ring IQ, with enough speed and power to execute his game plans.

Training among the competitive California high desert stable of the Diaz brothers has put the right polish on MJ’s professional style.

Akhmadaliev must be considered one of Inoue’s toughest opponents so far. But Inoue’s talent is so formidable in every aspect that Akhmadaliev is still a significant underdog. It would be a major upset if he got the victory on Inoue’s home turn in Japan.

Trainer Joel Diaz adds a significant asset to the mix. Diaz is also the trainer of Inoue’s most recent challenger. Diaz insisted before their fight that Ramon Cardenas would surprise people, and he proved right when Cardenas put up a terrific effort despite losing to Inoue. Everything Diaz and Cardenas learned in the ring in May now benefits Akhmadaliev.

At a public workout in Japan, Akhmadaliev said, “I came to Japan to defeat Naoya Inoue and to make history In terms of overall boxing ability, I believe I have the advantage.

“There are things my team and I have decided to do and not do, but I won’t reveal them now. You’ll see everything on fight day.”

Inoue Says He’s Well Prepared

Naoya Inoue will not easily let go of his championship hardware. Photo: Naoki Fukuda for Top Rank

At his own media workout at the Teiken Gym, Inoue told reporters, “I feel like I’m approaching this fight with a fresh mindset, as if I’ve returned to my roots.”

His father and trainer, Shingo Inoue, said he’s been pleased with his son’s preparation for this fight, completing 120 rounds of sparring.

Akhmadaliev is a smart fighter with a southpaw jaw that’s vicious and active. It’s his best weapon and he needs to keep it right in Inoue’s face from the opening bell. Inoue has shown he can be hit when he lets himself get drawn into a brawl, which he admits he loves but shouldn’t indulge in.

What Inoue has also shown is that he has terrific recuperative power and can get off the deck to buckle down and get the job done. It’s not an ideal situation but it’s a superpower worth having in your back pocket.

At 122 pounds, Inoue has to work a little harder to score knockouts, but he’s proven plenty able to do it. They aren’t the spectacular one-punch KOs fans have seen against the likes of Juan Carlos Payano or Jason Maloney, but they get the job done.

Akhmadaliev won’t try to rush things, and Inoue should play along until he gets a sense of the Uzbek and gets restless. Once Inoue times MJ’s jab, he’ll close the distance and begin taking shots to the body to take the steam out of Akhmadaliev, eventually leading to a late-round, attrition-style TKO victory.

Inoue vs Akhmadaliev Undercard Fights Include:

WBO bantamweight titlist Yoshiki Takei of Japan (11-0, 9 KOs) makes his third defense against Christian Medina of Mexico (25-4, 18 KOs).

Yuni Takada of Japan (16-8-3, 6 KOs) faces countryman Ryusei Matsumoto (6-0, 4 KOs) for the vacant WBA “regular” strawweight title.