Akhmadaliev, The Ring's No. 1-rated contender at 122 pounds, is ready to put that defeat behind him and begin the rebuild when facing once-beaten Hegly Mosqueda on Friday at Humo Arena in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

"I'm happy to be back in the ring. It's been a while, probably longer than I wanted but we were waiting on the right opportunities," Akhmadaliev (14-2, 11 KOs) told The Ring.

"At this point, we decided it's time to move forward and get active. My team are having good conversations about the future, and there are some intriguing options but I don't want to talk about that, my full focus is on May 29. I have a tough opponent in-front of me and want to deliver a strong performance for my people back in Uzbekistan."

This fight marks only his second appearance on home soil as a pro, and first since a fifth-round stoppage win over Ryosuke Iwasa to retain his IBF/WBA world titles in April 2021. Five years later, he's back.

"It always feels special to fight at home," he said. "Uzbekistan has some of the best boxing fans in the world, and their support means a lot to me. I'm really looking forward to that atmosphere.

"At the same time, I've spent most of my career fighting on my opponent's turf. I've only fought at home once, so it's never been a big issue for me. Wherever it is, the job is the same to step into the ring and perform, as long as everything is fair."

Akhmadaliev appreciates the need to stay active and box impressively to earn a world title shot, though may need to be creative to get that opportunity.

"My goals haven't changed — world titles and the biggest fights available," he said. "I'm comfortable at 122, but am open to moving up to 126 for the right opportunity.

"I'm realistic about the situation, if Inoue stays at 122, it could take a couple of years to get another shot, and don't want to wait. So I'm open to chasing titles in another division. If he moves up and vacates, then I'll go after the belts at 122," he added before reiterating his focus is centred around an impressive performance this weekend.

Venezuela's Mosqueda (27-1, 20 KOs) is a 10-year veteran largely feasting upon less than stellar opposition in his homeland.

The 31-year-old brought his craft to the East Coast in 2023 and early 2024, winning three fights before being outpointed over 10 rounds by unbeaten featherweight Felix Parrilla. He has since re-emerged with two home wins to earn this career-best opportunity.