UPDATE:  The IBF announced that today's purse bid for a 122-pound title fight between two-belt champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev (pictured) and former 118-pound title holder Marlon Tapales of the Philippines has been cancelled because an agreement has been reached by the camps of the two super bantamweights. The purse bid was initially scheduled for December but postponed until January 3rd. Tapales (36-3) has won one fight per year since a 2019 loss to Japan's Ryosuke Iwasa. Tapales won the WBO bantamweight title in 2016 but failed to make weight for his first defense. Akhamdaliev, from Uzbekistan, currently holds the IBF and WBA championships. His record is listed at 11-0 but 14-2 is more accurate due to pro fights in the World Series of Boxing. The other two belts at 122 pounds are held by Stephen Fulton, but unification seems unlikely at present.

DEC. 7, 2022: The IBF has ordered its 122-pound champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev into a purse bid with Marlon Tapales of the Philippines. Akhmadaliev, from Uzbekistan, also holds the WBA super championship, so he does have some leverage to refuse the IBF mandatory. Tapales is a former WBO bantamweight title holder with a pro record of 36-3. On December 5th, the IBF ordered Akhmadaliev and Tapales to begin negotiations for the IBF mandatory defense after a medical exception had been granted to Akhmadaliev back on November 28th. As no agreement was reached within the time frame set forth by the IBF, a purse bid has now been scheduled for Tuesday, December 20th at noon, Eastern time.