Japanese star Naoya Inoue has successfully defended his status as the undisputed world champion in the bantamweight division (55.22 kg), defeating Uzbekistan’s Murodjon Akhmadaliev, Championat reports.
After 12 rounds, all three judges scored the contest heavily in favour of the home fighter — 118:110, 117:111, 118:110.
Inoue controlled the bout almost from start to finish. Akhmadaliev looked for openings and tried to land a knockout punch, but the Japanese champion proved too quick. In the closing seconds, the Uzbek managed to land a heavy shot, yet it was not enough to alter the outcome.
This marked Inoue’s sixth defence of his WBC and WBO world titles and his fifth successful defence as the undisputed champion in the 55.22 kg weight class. The 32-year-old now boasts a flawless record of 31 wins with no defeats.
For 30-year-old Akhmadaliev, this was the second setback of his professional career, leaving him with 14 victories, 11 of them by knockout. He became the mandatory challenger for the WBA world title in December 2023 and went on to claim the organisation’s interim belt in December 2024.
Kursiv also reports that the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool have concluded, marking one of the most successful chapters in the history of Uzbek sport.
