SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Uzbek champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev didn’t say exactly how his clash with Filipino challenger Marlon Tapales would end.
But there was one thing Akhmadaliev said would happen Saturday night at the Boeing Center at Tech Port.
Holder of the World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation super-bantamweight title belts, Akhmadaliev stepped back a bit during a short chat with Daily Tribune during Thursday’s press conference.
“This is how the fight’s gonna end,” the fighter said with the help of a translator, raising his right hand and smiling proudly, his eyes lighting up behind a dark pair of glasses.
Regardless of the outcome—decision or knockout—Akhmadaliev swears he is looking forward to a smashing win against the fellow southpaw Tapales.
Akhmadaliev enters the fight with an 11-0 win-loss card with eight knockouts and became triggered when a reporter told him there were reports he was ducking Tapales.
“If I was avoiding him, then he wouldn’t be here today,” the visibly irate Akhmadaliev said.
Tapales, a former world champion, packs a 36-3 mark with 18 knockouts and remains undaunted.
“I am fighting to win not coming to just put on a good fight,” Tapales, who staged his training camp in Las Vegas, said.
But Akhmadaliev believes he won’t be handing the titles on a silver platter.
This is going to be war.
