In what was billed as the biggest boxing match in Japanese history, Naoya Inoue won 116-112, 115-113, 116-112.
Published May 3, 2026
Japanese boxer Naoya Inoue retains his undisputed super bantamweight world title with a unanimous decision victory over compatriot Junto Nakatani after a heated 12-round battle in Tokyo.
Inoue said he was “relieved” to remain undefeated by defeating Nakatani in front of 55,000 fans at a packed Tokyo Dome on Saturday.
The 33-year-old, known as a monster, extended his winning streak in world title fights to 28 with the judges scoring the fight 116-112, 115-113 and 116-112 in favor of the fight.
After the match, Inoue said, “It was different from previous matches, and there was a lot of pressure. That’s why I’m relieved that we won.”
“I don’t know if tonight was a legendary night, but it’s about to happen.
“Tonight is not the end of my boxing career, there is still time for more legendary moments.”
After Nakatani moved up in weight class at the end of last year, both boxers were undefeated at 32-0 going into the match in what was billed as the biggest boxing match in Japanese history.
The pace intensified, with Inoue charging early before Nakatani tried to close the gap in the second half of the match, but a clash of heads late in the tenth round opened a cut above the challenger’s eye, halting his momentum.
“Today, I executed the plan I said before the game: focus on winning and be sure that I am a winner,” Inoue said.
“As you all know, Nakatani is a mentally strong boxer. I think the fact that he is in the pound-for-pound rankings (top 10) makes this win worthwhile.”
With this victory, Inoue’s total record increased to 33 wins and 27 knockouts (KO).
Nakatani, who holds world titles in three different weight classes, was aiming to catapult himself into the top echelons of the sport with a victory.
The 28-year-old, known as ‘Big Bang’, regularly features in the top 10 of Ring magazine’s pound-for-pound rankings, which recognize the world’s best boxers regardless of weight class.
He was just fighting his second fight at super bantamweight and used his long reach to keep Inoue at bay early in the fight.
However, he was unable to stop his opponents from scoring with a series of pinpoint shots, and an accidental headbutt late in the match left him with a gash above his eye that bothered him.
“I’ve been preparing for a lot of situations, so I wasn’t too surprised by the way he fought,” said Nakatani, whose record dropped to 32-1 with 24 KOs.
“But he fought like a champion and is a great boxer.”
The match took place in an atmosphere of mutual respect, with both boxers exchanging smiles and fist bumps throughout.
It was Inoue’s second match at Tokyo Dome, after defeating Mexico’s Luis Nery in May 2024.
The area around the stadium was filled with fans several hours before the opening.
The atmosphere reached a fever pitch as Inoue and Nakatani appeared in a landmark match in Japanese boxing.
Inoue said, “The view I saw from the ring was a view that only I could experience, but I was able to see it thanks to the 55,000 people in the stadium.”
“I will come to Tokyo Dome again, so please let me enjoy this view again.”
