FILE–Filipino boxer Marlon Tapales. Harry How/Getty Images/AFP
MANILA, Philippines—Marlon Tapales set himself up for a world title shot after knocking out Jose Estrella of Mexico in their super bantamweight bout on Sunday (Manila time) at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
Tapales, the top IBF contender, unleashed a body shot to stop an overmatched Estrella in the second round of their eight-rounder.
The quick win assured Tapales of a crack at the winner between Murodjon Akhmadaliev of Uzbekistan and Ronny Rios of the United States.
Akhmadaliev (10-0, 7KOs) is defending the WBA (Super) and IBF belts against Rios (33-3, 16KOs) on June 25 in San Antonio, Texas.
The 30-year-old Tapales has been on a resurgence with three straight second-round stoppages since his TKO loss to Ryosuke Iwasa of Japan for the vacant IBF interim super bantamweight title back in December 2019.
Tapales, the former WBO bantamweight champion, improved his record to 36-3 with 19 knockouts.