Naoya Inoue? The best fighter in the world? Murodjon Akhmadaliev needed to see it to believe it.

For years, he called out the Japanese star, poking and prodding him to no end until he finally got his wish. The two officially got it on this past weekend at IG Arena in Nagoya, Japan, with Inoue (31-0, 27 KOs) placing his Ring, IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO junior featherweight titles on the line.

Akhmadaliev had plenty of success against everyone he had faced. But vs. Inoue, he was thoroughly outclassed and soundly beaten.

After losing a lopsided decision, all Akhmadaliev (14-2, 11 KOs) could do was extend his arm and shake Inoue’s hand. When it comes to excuses, the former unified 122-pound champ doesn’t have any. He believes he fought sloppily on the biggest stage of his life.

“I respect him and his achievements,” Akhmadaliev told several reporters. “He’s a good boxer, but I could have done better."

Becoming an undisputed champion has always been Akhmadaliev’s dream. That's why he’s kicking himself over how things played out. From Inoue’s power to his ring IQ to his ability to adapt on the fly, he had an answer for everything Akhmadaliev threw in his direction.

Now, he’ll attempt to figure out what went wrong. Akhmadaliev believes his game plan and overall approach could have been sharper. But more than anything, he blames his shortcomings on the time.

“I could have done better, but there wasn’t enough time,” Akhmadaliev said of the 12-round bout. "I wish I had more time."