Murodjon Akhmadaliev (9-0, 7 KOs) will now defend his WBA and IBF world super-bantamweight titles against José Velásquez (29-6-2 19 KOs) at the SNHU Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire on Friday November 19, live worldwide on DAZN, after mandatory challenger Ronny Rios was forced to withdraw with COVID.

“I hope that Ronny is feeling well, it’s a shame that he cannot face me, but it is a great chance for Jose and I am sure he will put everything into this fight,” said Akhmadaliev.

“Everything has been good in camp, it’s been a long camp with a couple of fights getting cancelled, but we’ve stayed in the gym and I’m ready to defend what is mine.

“We have a new gym, and we love it, it’s our new home. The facilities are great and there’s more room and new rings. It’s always a pleasure being in camp because Joel Diaz and the team – we’re one big family.

“We joke around and mess around, but we get great work in, we have our own language in the gym with broken English, Spanish, Uzbek and Russian, all mixed up. It’s fun but that’s because we work so hard that we make sure we enjoy ourselves when the work is done. We eat, sleep and drink boxing, the discipline is second to none.”

Akhmadaliev’s clash with Velazquez is part of a quadrupleheader of world title action in New Hampshire, topped by Demetrius Andrade (30-0, 18 KOs) defending his WBO middleweight title against Jason “El Animal” Quigley (19-1, 14 KOs).

It’s Mexico vs. Puerto Rico in the long-awaited showdown between WBC flyweight champion Julio Cesar Martinez (18-1, 14 KOs) and McWilliams Arroyo (21-4, 16 KOs) and the fourth World title bout on the bill is the second step on the path to crowning an undisputed women’s champion at 140lbs as Kali Reis (18-7-1, 5 KOs) takes on Jessica Camara (8-2, 0 KOs) for the WBA, IBO and vacant WBO straps.