Marlon “Nightmare” Tapales from Lanao del Norte became the Philippines’ newest world boxing champion after dethroning previously unbeaten unified super bantamweight champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev of Uzbekistan via a hard-fought split decision to win the IBF and WBA World super bantamweight titles at the Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas.
The 31-year old Tapales who was born in Tubod but now residing in Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte won on the cards of two judges with identical 115-113 scores while the third judge saw it 118-110 in favor of Akhmadaliev who was the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist.
With the win, Tapales just became a 2-division champion. He previously won the World Boxing Organization world bantamweight champion when he knocked out Panya Uthok of Thailand in the 11th round last July 2016. His record is now 37-3 with 19 KOs.
Tapales follows Bukidnon’s Melvin Jerusalem who won the WBO Minimumweight World Boxing Champion last January 2023 as the country’s only world boxing champions.
Watch the announcement below.
Here are some highlights.
