Naoya Inoue vs. Junto Nakatani: Clash of Titans at the Tokyo Dome
The boxing’s open secret has finally been confirmed: Naoya Inoue (32-0, 27 KOs) and Junto Nakatani (32-0, 24 KOs) will face each other on May 2nd at the Tokyo Dome. Inoue’s undisputed super bantamweight championship will be at stake.
The expected showdown between the two best Japanese boxers was officially announced at a press conference in Japan. The fight will be broadcast live on pay-per-view via Lemino; distribution rights for the United States have not yet been announced.
Inoue, considered one of the best pound-for-pound boxers, comes to this fight after an impressive 2025, in which he competed four times, achieving victories over Kim Ye-Joon, Ramon Cardenas, Murodjon Akhmadaliev, and David Picasso. His unanimous decision victory over Picasso in December was a preview of the big event.
In the co-main event of that same night, Nakatani defeated Sebastian Hernandez in a tougher-than-expected fight. These victories secured the anticipated clash between the two best Japanese boxers.
Nakatani, ranked among the best pound-for-pound, will seek to become a four-division champion, having held world titles in bantamweight, super flyweight, and flyweight. Despite his close victory in his super bantamweight debut against Hernandez, Nakatani has proven to be one of the best boxers in the world and had a solid performance in 2025 with a 3-0 record.
In the preliminary event, Inoue’s younger brother, Takuma, will defend his WBC bantamweight title against former four-division champion Kazuto Ioka.
