Boxing: Jason Maloney to fight Emmanuel Rodriguez for the IBF Bantamweight title

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Steve Molitor (red shorts) defeats Jason Booth for IBF Super Bantamweight title at Rainton Meadows Arena, Sunderland, 11th September 2010. Frank Maloney Promotions. © Photo credit: Leigh Dawney

Jason Moloney’s IBF bantamweight world title fight with Emmanuel Rodriguez has been added as a quarter-final match to the World Boxing Super Series and the fight will take place in Australia.

Last month Kalle Sauerland officially unveiled season two of the World Boxing Super Series at a salubrious London hotel. One of the three chosen weight classes for the new tournament series was bantamweight.

He was flanked by WBO titleholder Zolani Tete and IBF beltholder Emmanuel Rodriguez, and it was also announced WBA kingpin Ryan Burnett would also be taking part in the 118-pound tournament.

The 27-year-old is the mandatory challenger for Rodriguez’s IBF bantamweight title, which was once held by Australia’s greatest boxer, Jeff Fenech. Moloney is also ranked second in the WBA and WBO rankings.

WORLD BOXING SUPER SERIES ✅🏆 This is an absolute dream come true! Firstly I would like to thank everybody involved for giving me this unbelievable opportunity. It has been my dream for many years now to become World Champion and it is something which myself and my team have been working very hard towards. Now I will have the opportunity to achieve this dream and much more!! We now have the opportunity to become a Unified World Champion, win the glorious Muhammad Ali Trophy and become the undisputed #1 Bantamweight in the World. I am going to grab this opportunity with both hands and I truly believe that we have what it takes to go all the way and win this tournament. We are not in this competition to make up the numbers, we are here to shock the world! EXCITING TIMES AHEAD!! #TeamMoloney #WorldBoxingSuperSeries #Season2 #AliTrophy 🏆

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“This is an absolute dream come true!” Moloney wrote on social media.

“Firstly I would like to thank everybody involved for giving me this unbelievable opportunity.

“It has been my dream for many years now to become World Champion and it is something which myself and my team have been working very hard towards.

“Now I will have the opportunity to achieve this dream and much more!!

“We now have the opportunity to become a Unified World Champion, win the glorious Muhammad Ali Trophy and become the undisputed #1 Bantamweight in the World.

“I am going to grab this opportunity with both hands and I truly believe that we have what it takes to go all the way and win this tournament.

“We are not in this competition to make up the numbers, we are here to shock the world!

“EXCITING TIMES AHEAD!!”

Moloney competed at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi at the age of just 19 and has been knocking at the door of a title shot for over a year.

Rodriguez is 18-0 in a six year pro career and has recorded 12 knockouts. The Puerto Rican won the IBF’s vacant 118-pound strap with a unanimous decision win over Paul Butler in May.