Former IBF/WBA junior featherweight beltholder Murodjon Akhmadaliev lost his titles to Marlon Tapales last year, but he regrouped by stopping previously unbeaten Kevin Gonzalez in eight-rounds on the undercard of Jesse Rodriguez-Sunny Edwards at the Desert Diamond Arena, Glendale before Christmas.

Akhmadaliev, rated at No. 3 by The Ring at junior featherweight, put himself back in line for a world title by becoming the WBA mandatory challenger.

"I came back stronger and that's what I did," Akhmadaliev (12-1, 9 knockouts) told The Ring through manager Vadim Kornilov. "My job is to only get better and fight.

"I was happy to be back in the ring. I felt really good in this fight, strong and confident. I was very concentrated in training camp, I knew that I need to perform my best and remind everybody why I deserve the belts that I had. I am still very young in my professional career so I'm learning on the job.

"I am training with some of the best athletes so we were well prepared. And I knew that I have to use my skills, my speed and my power against him. At the end of the day we got the victory, and that's the most important."

The 29-year-old Uzbek would like to face undisputed champion Naoya Inoue but that won't be next as the Japanese superstar will first face Luis Nery in May.

Akhmadaliev doesn't want to wait around and would like to clear up any doubts surrounding his lone professional loss.

"I would fight Tapales with no belts on the line and show everybody who is better," he said. "From what I know, the WBA was going to order the rematch with Tapales because of the controversial decision, many people think that I did not lose that fight.

"I believe in boxing to take away somebody's titles you have to beat them in the ring, I don't think that's what happened in my fight with Tapales, everybody saw that I was trying to take the fight to him most of the time. I was the one winning most of the rounds. They gave him permission to fight Inoue because it's such a big fight, but after that the winner has to face me or vacate. That's why I fought the highest ranked opponent in WBA to stay active and to confirm that I'm waiting on the opportunity to get back what belongs to me."

The former amateur standout was impressed with both Inoue and former opponent Tapales in their fight.

"I think it was a very good fight from Inoue," he said. "Always smart pressure, good punch placements, combinations. Tapales did really good job too."

Akhmadaliev wants the winner of Inoue-Nery later this year.

"My target is to take my belts back," he said. "I would love to fight Inoue or anybody else for the world title whenever I can have this opportunity. No matter who I will fight, I want to fight for my belts."

Kornilov hopes to secure his client a fight for the undisputed junior featherweight championship at some point in 2024.

"We are working with our promotional team and hoping that Inoue's team will be interested in fighting Akhmadaliev," said Kornilov "MJ is a top fighter and this would be a very interesting fight for all the fans."