Marlon Tapales is committed to slay ‘The Monster.’

The two-division and reigning WBA/IBF junior featherweight titlist has locked into training while his team continues to finalize details for an undisputed showdown versus Naoya Inoue. The lineal championship and all four major belts in the 122-pound division will be on the line for their eventual clash which will likely take place on December 26 in Tokyo.

“I will be the Japanese Monster’s biggest nightmare this coming December at his own hometown,” Tapales told BoxingScene.com in a quote provided through his co-promoter MP Promotions. “So glad my everyday training always goes smoothly. My condition looks good, as well as my stamina, durability, punching power and quickness.

"By December during the fight night, I will be better than ever. I will be ready to be Inoue’s worst nightmare."

Tapales (37-3, 19KOs) is perfect in his previous four appearances in Japan.

The last came in April 2017, when he missed weight and was forced to vacate his WBO bantamweight title at the scales but prevailed in an eleventh-round knockout of Shohei Omori in Osaka. The 31-year-old southpaw from Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte, Philippines is 8-1 since that night.

No fight was bigger than his most recent, a twelve-round, split decision victory over then-unbeaten WBA/IBF 122-pound titlist Murodjon ‘MJ’ Akhmadaliev on April 8 in San Antonio.

Tapales immediately called for the winner of Inoue’s forthcoming challenge of unbeaten WBC/WBO titlist Stephen Fulton. Inoue (25-0, 22KOs) walked through the visiting Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-bred boxer en route to a one-sided, eighth-round knockout to become a four-division champ on July 25 in Tokyo.

With all four belts having changed hands in a span of less than four months, the two did not waste any time to begin talks for a full unification bout later this year.  

"Marlon is known for his never give up attitude despite the tall odds,” MP Promotions head Sean Gibbons told Boxing Scene. “He fights at any given situation, he adjusts, and never fear. He will be coming for the Monster.

“Marlon has been in Japan four times in his career, he is also 4 and 0, and he’s going to be 5 and 0 in Japan when he beats Inoue.”

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox