Marlon Tapales conducted his last sparring session on Wednesday in Las Vegas, less than two weeks before his shot at two world boxing titles in San Antonio, Texas.
“He did six rounds total, three each from Jerwin Ancajas and Jade Bornea,” JC Mananquil, Tapales’ promoter, reported from Sin City.
Tapales battles World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation super-bantamweight titlist Murodjon Akhmadaliev of Uzbekistan on 8 April at the Boeing Center at Tech Port.
“No more sparring, time to slow down to avoid getting an injury,” Mananquil, who arrived in the United States on Monday, added.
Akhmadaliev will be making the fourth defense, this time a mandatory against the dangerous Filipino puncher.
Since becoming a champion in January 2020, Akhmadaliev, 28, has beaten Japanese Ryosuke Iwasa of Japan, Jose Velasquez of Chile and Ronny Rios of the US.
Tapales and Akhamdaliev are both southpaws.
Though Tapales appears to be the more experienced of the two, Akhmadaliev is no newbie.
Training under the respected Joel Diaz in Indio, California, Akhmadaliev is a volume puncher with a terrific skill set.
But Tapales’ think-tank is unfazed.
Even the fighter himself insists he is not coming into the title fight to assume the role of cannon fodder.
“I am coming to win, not just to put up a great fight,” he said.