On September 14, a big boxing evening was held in Nagoya, Japan, and its most central clash attracted fans from all over the world. Japan's Naoya Inoue (31-0, 28 KOs), who competed for the absolute world championship in the lightest weight category, defended her five championship belts against the Uzbek fighter Murodjon Akhmadaliev (14-2, 11 KOs).
The fight was scheduled for 12 rounds, and in the first four rounds, both athletes acted cautiously and spent mainly time studying each other's style. In subsequent stages, the situation changed at different points: sometimes the advantage was on Inoue's side, and sometimes Murodjon's active actions ensured the advantage.
During the match, neither a knockdown nor a knockout was observed. The fierce and constant struggle continued until the last bell. All three judges unanimously recognized the victory of the reigning champion Naoya Inoue, and her status as the absolute champion was retained.
The financial aspects of this battle also aroused great interest. The total prize fund is set at $20 million. According to the distribution, Naoya Inoue will receive 75%, or $15 million, guaranteed. In addition, he will receive an additional $4 million in bonuses.
Murodjon Akhmadaliev was awarded a 25 percent share. The Uzbek fighter will receive a payment of $5 million from this fight and will receive an additional $1 million from PPV (income from live broadcasting).
The fight, which took place in Nagoya, entered history not only as a fight for the championship belts, but also as a vivid demonstration of the resilience and will of the two boxers.
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