Murodjon Akmadaliev of Uzbekistan defends the WBA/IBF junior featherweight belts against the IBF mandatory challenger Filipino Marlon Tapales at the Boeing Centre, at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas, on Saturday night.
The 28-year-old Akhmadaliev (11-0; 8) was an outstanding amateur, winning a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics.
Fighting from the southpaw stance he won the WBA Intercontinental junior featherweight title on a first-round knockout against Ramon Contreras and would claim the WBA/IBF belts with a split decision win over Daniel Roman.
Since winning the belts he has made successful defences against Ryosuka Iwasa (tko 5), Jose Velasquez (pts 12) and Ronny Rios (tko 12).
Tapales (36-3; 19) has scored good wins over fellow countryman Randy Petalcorin (tko 2) and Warlito Parrenas (tko 7).
The 31-year-old, who fights from the southpaw stance, lost to David Sanchez on a 12-round majority decision in Mexico and then upset the previously unbeaten Shohei Omari (tko 2) in a WBO bantamweight title eliminator in Japan.
He has won his last three fights inside the distance since losing to Ryosuke Iwasa (tko 11) in an IBF interim junior featherweight bout.
JESSE RODRIGUEZ AND CRISTIAN GONZALEZ MEET FOR VACANT BELT
On the same card Jesse Rodriguez and Cristian Gonzalez meet in a clash for the vacant WBO flyweight belt.
Rodriguez (17-0; 11), who held the WBC junior bantamweight belt, is hoping to become a two division champion when he faces Gonzalez (15-1; 5).
SHAKUR STEVENSON AND SHUICHIRO YOSHINO MEET IN ELIMINATOR
Former two-weight world champion Shakur Stevenson (19-0; 9) meets Japan’s Shuichiro Yoshino (16-0; 12) in a WBC lightweight title eliminator on Saturday at the Prudential Centre in Newark, New Jersey.
BONGANI MAHLANGU MAKES FIRST DEFENCE OF SA TITLE
One of the oldest fighters in the history of South African boxing to hold a South African title, the 43-year-old southpaw Bongani Mahlangu (24-9; 12) makes the first defence of the South African junior featherweight title when he meets Mduduzi Mzimela (6-0; 3) at Auckland Park on Friday 21 April.
The oldest recorded South African fighter to hold a national title was the 44-year-old Jack Lalor (58-8-8; 29), who beat Ronald Dumar on points over 20 rounds in East London on 14 July 1919, to regain the South African welterweight title.