Tokyo, Japan (May 4th, 2026)– Naoya Inoue (33-0) maintained his status as the undisputed super bantamweight champion by defeating Junto Nakatani via unanimous decision on May 2, 2026. In front of a sell-out crowd of 55,000 at the Tokyo Dome, Inoue outpointed his fellow countryman in what was billed as the biggest fight in Japanese boxing history.
The fight began cautiously as both fighters showed significant respect for each other’s power. Inoue controlled the pace early with a sharp jab and superior footwork, working the body to bridge the distance against the rangier Nakatani.
Nakatani began to find his rhythm in the middle rounds, utilizing his reach and a thudding left hand to mount a comeback. He appeared to momentarily stun Inoue in the ninth round with a sharp uppercut, narrowing the gap on the scorecards. Then there was a turning point in the fight. A critical accidental clash of heads in the 10th round opened a severe gash over Nakatani’s left eye. While Nakatani finished the round strong, the injury hindered his vision for the remainder of the fight.
In the last 2 rounds, Inoue seized the momentum, landing precise power shots and clean uppercuts. His veteran experience allowed him to pull away as Nakatani struggled with the cut, securing the decisive lead needed for the victory. The judges scored the fight 116–112, 116–112, and 115–113. Undefeated Jesse Bam Rodriguez is reportedly being mentioned as a future opponent for later this year or in 2027.
Undercard Results:
Takuma Inoue (c) def. Kazuto Ioka: Unanimous decision (118-108, 119-107, 120-106) to retain the WBC bantamweight title.
Yoshiki Takei def. DeKang Wang: Majority decision (76-76, 77-75, 77-75) in an 8-round super bantamweight bout.
Jin Sasaki def. Sora Tanaka: Split decision (97-93, 96-94, 94-96) in a 10-round welterweight scrap.
Toshiki Shimomachi def. Reiya Abe: Majority decision (95-95, 96-94, 96-94) in a 10-round featherweight bout
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