Naoya Inoue delivered a polished performance to outclass Junto Nakatani in the biggest fight in Japanese boxing history.
Inoue took a unanimous decision (116-112, 115-113, 116-112) over Nakatani in front of 55,000 spectators Saturday at the Tokyo Dome in Japan to retain his undisputed super bantamweight title.
Advertisement
Nakatani was Uncrowned’s No. 6 pound-for-pound boxer heading into the fight, and at age 28, is five years younger than Inoue, Uncrowned’s No. 2 boxer. As such, many considered Saturday’s fight to be a potential passing of the torch moment. However, it was anything but.
Inoue (33-0, 27 KOs), a four-division champion, showed that he is still very much at the peak of his powers, denying Nakatani (32-1, 24 KOs), the opportunity to become the fourth fighter in Japanese history to hold world titles in four different weight classes.
Inoue built up a strong lead in the first five rounds on Saturday. The champion eloquently switched levels between head and body with his jab and straight right. The hand-speed from Inoue, alongside his ability to disguise his punching target, kept Nakatani guessing and gave Inoue control in the early going.
Advertisement
But Nakatani started to become more active as the rounds went on. Combinations and straight lefts from the challenger in Round 5 were the first real sign that Nakatani could trouble Inoue. In the sixth frame, Nakatani built off his success, countering Inoue with lefts and winning his first round.
It was a struggle to split the pair in the seventh, but Nakatani won Rounds 8, 9 and 10 on Uncrowned’s unofficial scorecard to tighten up proceedings heading into the championship rounds. Through the encouragement of trainer Rudy Hernandez, Nakatani became more active in those frames. Although that made him a target for Inoue’s jab, Nakatani also found a home for his power punches, particularly the straight left and uppercut.
In Round 10, Nakatani knocked back Inoue’s head with a right hook and proceeded to force Inoue onto the back foot and bully him around the ring. It was Nakatani’s best round, but in the final minute, tragedy struck, as Nakatani was cut over his left eye courtesy of an accidental clash of heads.
Advertisement
The cut caused blood to pour into Nakatani’s eyes — and that spurred Inoue on.
Inoue regained control of the contest in Round 11, shifting back to combination-punching and enjoying sustained success with his right hands. Inoue edged a close 12th round, which included a terrific right-hand counter from the champion, to seal his win.
A two-division undisputed champion, Inoue unified all four super bantamweight titles in December 2023 after previously becoming undisputed champion at bantamweight. He’s now made seven successful defenses of his four belts at super bantamweight, with four of them coming in 2025 alone.
Advertisement
Nakatani won WBO titles at flyweight and super flyweight before becoming a unified champion at bantamweight this past June. He then moved up to super bantamweight and made a successful debut in the division by edging Sebastian Hernandez in a brawl this past December on the same card as Inoue’s win over David Picasso, setting the stage for Saturday’s long-awaited all-Japan superfight.
Check out full Inoue vs. Nakatani results and highlights below, as well as Uncrowned’s play-by-play of the main card.
Main card
Undisputed super bantamweight title: Naoya Inoue def. Junto Nakatani via unanimous decision (116-112, 115-113, 116-112)
Advertisement
Super bantamweight: Yoshiki Takei def. DeKang Wang via majority decision (76-76, 77-75, 77-75)
WBC bantamweight title: Takuma Inoue def. Kazuto Ioka via unanimous decision (118-109, 119-108, 120-106)
Live coverage is over58 updates
Sat, May 2, 2026 at 6:59 AM PDT
Darshan Desai
Sat, May 2, 2026 at 6:56 AM PDT
Darshan Desai
Sat, May 2, 2026 at 6:55 AM PDT
Darshan Desai
Three minutes to go, and on Uncrowned’s scorecard, Junto Nakatani needs a knockout.
Inoue starts the final round fast. He pierces the guard with a one-two. A left from Nakatani is the response. He follows up with a combination. They want to leave it all in the ring. Both are landing power punches.
Terrific right catches Nakatani in between a combination. Inoue’s speed is still a killer. Ever since Nakatani suffered that cut, Inoue has taken over.
Final minute coming up. Inoue knows he has won now and is just cruising to the final bell.
10-9 Inoue, 116-112 Inoue
Sat, May 2, 2026 at 6:51 AM PDT
Darshan Desai
Nakatani needs the final two rounds on Uncrowned’s scorecard to get a draw.
Nice uppercut-right-hand-left hook combination from Inoue in the first minute. He goes to the body and then knocks back the head with a right.
Inoue breaks the guard with a right early in the second minute. Nakatani is letting his hands go, but nothing got through.
Uppercut on the inside for Inoue. Inoue is bullying Nakatani around the ring. It’s been his best round in a while.
Final minute coming up. Nakatani is struggling and “The Monster” is having sustained success in this final minute.
10-9 Inoue, 106-103 Inoue
Sat, May 2, 2026 at 6:44 AM PDT
Darshan Desai
A combination on the inside lands for Inoue. Nakatani had the better start to the round, but it was Inoue who found the target clean.
Brilliant right hook for Nakatani. That was his best punch of the fight. Inoue certainly felt that one.
A pair of combinations gets through for Nakatani. Nakatani has come on strong, and it’s Inoue who is on the back foot and hesitant.
A clash of heads led to a huge cut over Nakatani’s left eye.
Body attack from Inoue to end the tenth frame.
10-9 Nakatani, 96-94 Inoue
Sat, May 2, 2026 at 6:39 AM PDT
Darshan Desai
Fast start from Nakatani, who puts Inoue on the back foot and lets his hands go early.
Good combination from the challenger. Best minute stretch Nakatani has had in this fight.
Inoue explodes with a combination on the inside. Nakatani eats a jab.
Brilliant right-hand counter from Inoue. Nakatani is firing lefts on Inoue’s guard. He lands clean with an uppercut now and follows behind with a left hand.
10-9 Nakatani, 87-84 Inoue
Sat, May 2, 2026 at 6:35 AM PDT
Darshan Desai
Nakatani was told by trainer Rudy Hernandez inbetween rounds that he is behind and needs to start hitting the chest and letting punches go.
But it’s Inoue who begins the eighth with a combination. Nakatani returns the favor. It is starting to heat up.
A left hand breaks the guard for Nakatani. Inoue is pulverizing him with the jab.
Chopping right for the champ. Good head movement for Inoue, who makes Nakatani miss with his counter.
Inoue connects with a clean left hand early in the final minute. Hook around from Nakatani. Nakatani is firing to the body. Nakatani lets a pair of lefts rip and looks to follow up on that success with a combination seconds later.
10-9 Nakatani, 78-74 Inoue
Sat, May 2, 2026 at 6:30 AM PDT
Darshan Desai
Nakatani will need a big second half to win this fight.
A combination from the challenger lands on the guard. Inoue finds a home for the right to the body. Nakatani lands with a left and then throws a combination. They are beginning to exchange a little now.
The speed of Inoue is still giving Nakatani plenty of problems. Terrific left by Inoue. Another clean shot from the champion knocks back the head.
Naktani won the first minute, Inoue the second. Two lefts from Nakatani on the inside. One of them may have nudged through. A right to the chin scores for Inoue.
10-9 Inoue, 69-64 Inoue
Sat, May 2, 2026 at 6:24 AM PDT
Darshan Desai
Nakatani counters Inoue coming in with a couple of shots to open Round 6.
Terrific one-two for Nakatani — it was his best connection of the night.
Inoue breaks the guard with a jab. Inoue is made to miss and eats a left-hand from the challenger.
Stiff jab from Inoue breaks the guard. He disguises it behind the jab downstairs.
Inoue lands to the body. Nakatani counters Inoue with a left to conclude the first half.
10-9 Nakatani, 59-55 Inoue
Sat, May 2, 2026 at 6:20 AM PDT
Darshan Desai
Inoue opens the fifth with a jab. He aimed a right to the body a few seconds later. Terrific jab catches Nakatani on the chin. Now, Nakatani lets his hands go with a three-punch combination, but nothing got through.
Inoue is bossing things at the moment. A left breaks the guard for Nakatani.
A right to the chin finds the target for Inoue. Nakatani was backed up on the ropes and a sitting duck for the punch.
Nakatani throws a four-punch combination. The right hook at the end of it may have been the only scoring punch.
Inoue is off balance. A couple of jabs from Nakatani and a short left. Closest round of the fight.
10-9 Inoue, 50-45 Inoue
Sat, May 2, 2026 at 6:14 AM PDT
Darshan Desai
Into Round 4, and Inoue is surely 3-0 up thus far.
Terrific work with the jab from Inoue to open Round 4. He broke the gap with the left hand and then continued to assault Nakatani with lefts to the head and body at closer range.
Nakatani is still patient. Nakatani countered Inoue with a left when Inoue broke the gap and missed with a right.
Body shot scores for Inoue just before the final minute. Nice three-punch combination from Inoue — he jabbed to the head, the body, and then let. the right go. Nakatani chops down with a left hand in response.
10-9 Inoue, 40-36 Inoue
Sat, May 2, 2026 at 6:08 AM PDT
Darshan Desai
Jabs from Nakatani scoring in the first minute of Round 3.
Inoue fires to the body with a right. Sharp jab for Inoue. Inoue just fell short with a right upstairs.
Inoue continues to aim at the body with his right. He is the busier of the two with power punches and does connect with a right to the chin that time.
Nakatani is doing little other than his jab so far. Inoue fires a right to the head; Nakatani looked to come back with a left.
10-9 Inoue, 30-27 Inoue
Sat, May 2, 2026 at 6:03 AM PDT
Darshan Desai
Inoue sinks in another body shot to open this session. It’s a bit of a chess match early. Neither man wants to make a mistake. Inoue finds a home for his right to the chin. Nakatani has let go with a couple of jabs in this round, but hasn’t let the left go yet. He did that time, though. Inoue rolled with it. Body shots from both. Inoue catches Nakatani with a check hook and then fires to the body.
10-9 Inoue, 20-18 Inoue
Sat, May 2, 2026 at 5:59 AM PDT
Darshan Desai
Here we go! 55,000 fans have filled up the Tokyo Dome to watch the biggest Japanese fight of all time. Inoue defends his undisputed title against the big-punching southpaw Nakatani.
Inoue is trying to break the distance with his fast jab early. Nakatani is employing a wide stance, sitting on his back foot, and looking to walk Inoue into a punch coming in.
Right to the body from Inoue to open the second minute. Right to the body for Inoue again. Inoue goes for the same shot for a third time, and Nakatani tries to counter him there. Brilliant right from Inoue to the chin. Nakatani was off balance for a second. An injection of pace from Inoue. He went downstairs and then upstairs with the right. A right-hand upstairs attempted by Inoue late.
10-9 Inoue
Sat, May 2, 2026 at 5:52 AM PDT
Darshan Desai
Sat, May 2, 2026 at 5:48 AM PDT
Darshan Desai
Inoue, a four-division champion and Uncrowned’s No. 2 pound-for-pound boxer, faces perhaps his toughest test yet against countryman Nakatani, who has held world titles in three weight classes as well as occupying the No. 6 spot on Uncrowned’s pound-for-pound list.
Inoue, 33, is thought to be exiting his prime years, while Nakatani, 28, might be arriving at this matchup at exactly the perfect time. Inoue has taken part in a stunning 27 world title camps and fights, while Nakatani has had just 10.
In recent fights, vulnerabilities have begun to appear in Inoue’s game, notably through knockdowns suffered against Luis Nery and Ramon Cardenas. Thus, he has started to use a more cautious approach in recent fights than what we became accustomed to seeing from the knockout artist. Inoue’s past two bouts, against Murodjon Akhmadaliev and Alan Picasso, both saw Inoue go the 12-round distance. It was only the fourth and fifth times, respectively, that Inoue heard the final bell in 32 pro fights and the first time in almost six years.
Instead of searching for a finish, Inoue utilized the skill and ring IQ that fight fans knew he possessed but often took a back seat to his dynamic, high-octane style. Against a heavy-handed, tall southpaw like Nakatani, a more cautious approach may bode well for Inoue. It is, however, also vital for Inoue, as the shorter fighter, to be able to close the gap on Nakatani with regularity, and therefore, intelligent pressure may be the way forward in this matchup — something Inoue should be successful with due to his excellent foot speed.
While Inoue has captured all of the belts at super bantamweight and been in the division for eight fights, Nakatani has fought just once at 122 pounds — a 12-round brawl with Sebastian Hernandez in December.
Against Hernandez, Nakatani controlled the first five rounds. But in the later stages of the bout, Nakatani struggled to move as much. The contest began to be fought at close range, where it was clear the pressure and volume punching by the Mexican were proving troublesome for Nakatani. Two judges scored the fight 115-113, seven rounds to five for Nakatani, which was an accurate reflection of the fight.
Inoue’s sublime jab and body shots are two central parts of his arsenal. With Nakatani having a long torso and fatiguing in the second half against Hernandez, body shots could be vital for Inoue on Saturday. It is, however, difficult to have much success with the jab to the head against a tall southpaw because of the difference in reach and the fact that a southpaw’s lead hand can often negate an orthodox fighter’s lead left. Inoue’s jab is no ordinary jab, though. It is a power shot, and if it can land with speed and accuracy, it can prove effective. Additionally, Inoue’s body jab is a weapon in itself and could be crucial to slow down Nakatani, but it may also present Nakatani with chances to counter Inoue coming in.
For Nakatani, the goal will be to control proceedings with the jab, make Inoue miss closing the gap and make him pay with left-hand counters. Nakatani has had plenty of success in the past with stepping back and landing lefts, whether it is a straight shot or an uppercut. Well aware of Inoue suffering early knockdowns in recent fights, Nakatani may look to deliver one of his own, even if his power at super bantamweight is still unproven. It will be interesting to see how both men react to the other’s punching power once they land their first significant punches.
Inoue suffered knockdowns against Nery and Cardenas because he wasn’t fearful of the threat posed by the two Mexican fighters and fought carelessly — something he won’t be doing against Nakatani. I expect Nakatani to pose problems for Inoue in the first half of the bout, but for Inoue to figure out Nakatani and win a competitive decision.
Pick: Inoue
Sat, May 2, 2026 at 5:44 AM PDT
Darshan Desai
Sat, May 2, 2026 at 5:41 AM PDT
Darshan Desai
Sat, May 2, 2026 at 5:35 AM PDT
Darshan Desai
Naoya Inoue defends his undisputed super bantamweight title against Junto Nakatani in the biggest fight in Japanese boxing history.
Inoue (32-0, 27 KOs), a two-division undisputed champion, unified all four super bantamweight titles in December 2023 after previously becoming undisputed champion at bantamweight. Inoue is Uncrowned’s No. 2 pound-for-pound boxer.
Nakatani (32-0, 24 KOs), a three-division champion, is Uncrowned’s No. 6 pound-for-pound boxer. He won WBO titles at flyweight and super flyweight before becoming unified champion at bantamweight this past June.
Japanese boxer Naoya Inoue (L) and Junto Nakatani pose for photographs following a weigh-in ahead of their May 2 boxing match in Tokyo on May 1, 2026. (Photo by Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP via Getty Images)
(YUICHI YAMAZAKI via Getty Images)Sat, May 2, 2026 at 5:32 AM PDT
Darshan Desai
Yoshiki Takei defeats DeKang Wang via majority decision (76-76, 77-75, 77-75).
AloJapan.com