Murodjon Akhmadaliev (Uzbekistan, 13 wins [10 KOs], 1 loss), the WBA interim super bantamweight world champion, who is scheduled to face undisputed WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO super bantamweight world champion Naoya Inoue (Ohashi Gym, 30 wins [27 KOs], undefeated) on September 14 in Japan, competed in a 10-round super bantamweight bout on May 30 (May 31 Japan time) in Guadalajara, Mexico, promoted by Matchroom Boxing.
Akhmadaliev weighed in at the super bantamweight limit of 122 pounds the day before the fight. This was his first appearance in the ring since winning the interim title on December 14, 2023 (Japan time) in Monte Carlo, Monaco, where he defeated then-8th ranked Ricardo Espinoza (Mexico, 30 wins [25 KOs], 5 losses, 1 no contest) by TKO at 2:59 of the 3rd round.
His opponent, Kevin Gonzalez Castillo, who has hearing and speech impairments, returned to the ring for the first time in about a year and a half. Castillo last fought on February 25, 2023, in Osaka, where he suffered a TKO loss to Tomoki Kameda (TMK, 42 wins [23 KOs], 5 losses) at 1:18 of the 5th round. He successfully made weight at 120 pounds during the weigh-in.
Akhmadaliev, a southpaw, entered the ring with a confident expression and began the fight cautiously, studying Castillo’s movements. Although he threw few punches early on, he landed a right hook following a left body uppercut. In the second round, Castillo moved his upper body in quick motions, throwing left and right hooks, while Akhmadaliev continued to observe with low output.
In the third round, Castillo tried throwing punches aggressively but couldn’t land cleanly. Akhmadaliev disrupted his balance with a straight left. In the fourth, Akhmadaliev increased the pressure, landing a left body uppercut, followed by a straight left and a right hook, though the punches still lacked full impact.
In the fifth round, Castillo moved around the ring, throwing rough punches, making it difficult for Akhmadaliev to catch him. However, just before the bell, Akhmadaliev scored a knockdown with a sharp left body uppercut. With 30 seconds left in the round, he chose not to push recklessly.
In the sixth round, Akhmadaliev looked to finish the fight but remained cautious. He capitalized on a brief opening and landed a left hook that scored another knockdown. In the seventh round, Castillo occasionally lunged forward with his head while throwing left and right hooks as he moved backward. Akhmadaliev continued to apply pressure but did not attack recklessly.
In the 8th round, Akhmadaliev began to zero in with straight lefts and hooks. Castillo, unable to react, wobbled but showed remarkable toughness. However, his corner signaled their intent to stop the fight, resulting in a TKO victory for Akhmadaliev.
Akhmadaliev fought cautiously, clearly aiming to avoid injury, but still demonstrated the power behind each of his punches. With this tune-up bout behind him, he is now set to head to Japan in September to face Naoya Inoue.
Former IBF World Light Flyweight Champion Adrian Curiel (Mexico, 119 lbs) — with a record of 25 wins (5 KOs), 6 losses, and 1 draw — faced Johan Rubio (Mexico, 115 lbs) — 8 wins (4 KOs), 2 losses, and 2 draws — in a 10-round bout, where Curiel secured a victory by decision.
At the weigh-in, Curiel came in at a career-heaviest 119 pounds, showing some extra weight around his midsection. After an opening round where both fighters exchanged heavy left hooks, Curiel began applying pressure and moved forward, targeting Rubio’s body while Rubio tried to maintain distance with his jab.
In round 4, Curiel landed a right straight and a left hook. In close exchanges, he delivered uppercuts with both hands and landed lefts to the body, gradually revealing the difference in physical strength. In round 5, Rubio briefly switched to a southpaw stance, but it had little effect as Curiel pushed forward with repeated body shots.
In round 6, Curiel had the upper hand in the close-range exchanges, landing body shots followed by right uppercuts and powerful lefts to the body. Rubio showed resilience, responding with movement, jabs, and a left uppercut. In round 7, Curiel landed a clean left uppercut and continued to dig into the body, wearing Rubio down.
In round 8, Curiel intensified the pressure, swinging big punches to try to end the fight, but many missed the mark. Rubio also fought back with determination, but couldn’t land effectively. In round 9, Curiel forced Rubio back with body shots and followed up with uppercuts from both hands. Rubio’s knees buckled slightly, but he showed no signs of giving up.
In the final round, Curiel kept coming forward, landing body shots and uppercuts from both sides. Rubio held on and showed grit until the final bell. The judges scored the bout 99-91, 99-91, and 98-92 in favor of Curiel.
Was Akhmadaliev playing it safe in his fight ahead of facing undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue (Ohashi Gym)?
This article has been translated and published with permission from BOXING MASTER.
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