Japanese champion Naoya Inoue mocked the Uzbek boxer.

The absolute world champion in the super bantamweight division, Naoya Inoue, has responded to the challenge from Murodjon Akhmadaliev, a former world champion and the current mandatory challenger for the WBA title. Inoue confirmed his readiness for a potential fight with the Uzbek boxer but emphasized that he is currently fully focused on defending his titles against Sam Goodman. The Inoue-Goodman bout is scheduled for January 24.

In response to Akhmadaliev's recent challenge, the Japanese champion posted a message on social media, indicating that he is not shying away from a meeting with the Uzbek fighter.

“There’s no need to avoid a fight with someone who lost to Tapales,” Inoue wrote, referring to Akhmadaliev's defeat by Marlon Tapales last year. It’s worth noting that Inoue later defeated Tapales in December 2023, unifying all championship belts in the super bantamweight division.

Inoue urged Akhmadaliev to keep winning and wait for his turn: “If you want the fight, wait and keep winning. Right now, all my attention is on the bout with Goodman.”

It’s important to remember that in 2023, there was a possibility of organizing a fight between Inoue and Akhmadaliev for the title of absolute world champion. However, Akhmadaliev's loss to Tapales changed those plans. The Uzbek boxer lost the WBA and IBF titles, but after winning against an opponent and claiming the WBA interim champion title, he once again expressed his desire for a fight with Inoue.