Naoya Inoue is set to defend his undisputed super bantamweight championship in what looks to be his toughest test in years, as he faces pound-for-pound contender Junto Nakatani in a battle of unbeaten Japanese stars at the Tokyo Dome tomorrow.<\/p>\n
Bad Left Hook will have LIVE results, updates, and reactions starting from 4:40 am ET on Saturday, May 2, 2026.<\/p>\n
Naoya Inoue\u2019s recent form<\/p>\n
The 33-year-old Inoue (32-0, 27 KO) has continued to dominate over his last five fights, beating TJ Doheny, Ye Joon Kim, Ramon Cardenas, Murodjon Akhmadaliev, and Alan Picasso. He was last out on December 27, when he had his first fight in Riyadh, winning a wide decision over Picasso.<\/p>\n
Both of Inoue\u2019s last two fights have gone the distance, but it probably doesn\u2019t say anything about his power declining. He\u2019s pushing himself as a 122 lb fighter in the first place, but he can still crack, and more than just the raw power, he\u2019s got excellent fundamentals, good timing, and has zip on his shots with both hands. He also is a keen body puncher and can wear opponents down if they leave the midsection open too much. Picasso was game and tough, while Akhmadaliev largely avoided contact, to be blunt about it.<\/p>\n
All that to say he\u2019s still plenty dangerous as a stoppage threat, despite the two straight decisions. Those decisions ended a run of 11 straight wins by KO or TKO. Inoue remains hard to argue as anything but a top three fighter in the sport, pound-for-pound.<\/p>\n
Junto Nakatani\u2019s recent form<\/p>\n
Nakatani (32-0, 24 KO) moved up to the super bantamweight division on that same December 27 card in Riyadh and got a really tough fight from Sebastian Hernandez. Nakatani, 28, still looked good in that fight, but he had to fight a lot harder for that one than we generally see, which could say as much about Hernandez\u2019s quality as it does Nakatani\u2019s adjustment to a new division.<\/p>\n
Even if it was more the latter, Nakatani should come into this one feeling more comfortable at the weight. And Hernandez is a natural 122 lb fighter, too, which Inoue isn\u2019t, though Inoue is entirely legit at the weight. Like Inoue, Nakatani has traveled up in weight over the years.<\/p>\n
Over his last five, Nakatani has beaten Hernandez, Ryosuke Nishida, David Cuellar, Tasana Salapat (Petch CP Freshmart), and Vincent Astrolabio. Only Hernandez gave him any real trouble; he stopped all the others in six rounds or less. At his best, Nakatani is a vicious sharpshooter from the southpaw stance and could present real stylistic challenges for Inoue.<\/p>\n
Catch all the action from the Tokyo Dome as Naoya Inoue faces his toughest challenge in Junto Nakatani, live on DAZN!<\/p>\n