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Eddie Hearn claims pound-for-pound star will vacate world title in 2025
Watch Opetaia vs Nyika Jan 8 live on DAZN
Promoter Eddie Hearn believes undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue will vacate his WBA title to avoid facing mandatory challenger Murodjon Akhmadaliev.
Inoue is set to defend his WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF super bantamweight world titles on January 24 when he faces Sam Goodman.
If the Japanese superstar defeats the Australian, it is expected that the WBA will call for Inoue to face mandatory challenger Akhmadaliev, promoted by Hearn's Matchroom.
The Uzbek fighter reinforced his status with a stoppage win against Ricardo Espinoza Franco in December, putting him in the frame to push for a shot at Inoue in the aftermath.
Speaking to The Stomping Ground, Hearn is confident His Excellency Turki Alalshikh will make the fight between the pair, but not before Inoue gives up one of his world title belts.
"As soon as he fights Sam Goodman, the WBA are going to send him a letter the next day, you have to fight Akhmadaliev immediately," Hearn said.
"He’s already agreed to sign [David] Picaso, a Top Rank fighter, in May or something like that in America.
"So he will be vacating the WBA world title, Akhmadaliev will be elevated to the world championship, we will take our defence.
"Then my prediction is that His Excellency will try and make Akhmadaliev [against] Inoue for the undisputed world championship in Riyadh."
Inoue was originally set to face Goodman on December 24 in Tokyo, however, the fight was postponed after Goodman picked up an injury in training camp.
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