{"id":331102,"date":"2025-12-23T06:20:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-23T06:20:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/331102\/"},"modified":"2025-12-23T06:20:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T06:20:10","slug":"naoya-inoue-held-himself-back-for-first-time-in-career-against-akhmadaliev","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/331102\/","title":{"rendered":"Naoya Inoue Held Himself Back For First Time In Career Against Akhmadaliev"},"content":{"rendered":"

There were moments in his most recent fight when Naoya Inoue<\/a> felt like he could\u2019ve pushed to knock out Murodjon Akhmadaliev<\/a>.
Inoue suppressed that instinct in favor of a more measured approach that helped him handily beat the Uzbek southpaw unanimously on the scorecards September 14<\/a>. Excessive aggression is what Inoue is sure led to Luis Nery<\/a> and Ramon Cardenas<\/a> knocking him down during fights that the undisputed junior featherweight champion came back to win by technical knockout.<\/p>\n

The Japanese superstar didn\u2019t want to repeat that tactical mistake against the skillful Akhmadaliev, whom Inoue knew he could comfortably outbox.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course there was [reluctance to hold back],\u201d Inoue told The Ring\u2019s Daisuke Sugiura. \u201cBut I also understand that this is my weakness now. Opposing teams strategizing for me know this, too \u2013 they think my desire to entertain makes me attack aggressively at times, and that those moments are openings. So, I\u2019ve started thinking that maybe I don\u2019t need to prioritize entertaining the fans in every fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inoue (31-0, 27 KOs) \u2013 who will meet Mexico\u2019s Alan Picasso on Saturday night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia<\/a> \u2013 is one of boxing\u2019s most electrifying fighters. The four-division champion had won 11 fights in a row by knockout before he defeated Akhmadaliev by scores of 118-110, 118-110 and 117-111 three months ago at IG Arena in Nagoya, Japan.<\/p>\n

Akhmadaliev (14-2, 11 KOs) became the first fighter to take Inoue the distance since Nonito Donaire in November 2019. Going 12 rounds could become a more common occurrence if Inoue, ranked third on The Ring\u2019s pound-for-pound list, remains more mindful of defense.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me clarify \u2013 when fighting true champion-level opponents, I don\u2019t go in thinking I will force a knockout,\u201d Inoue said. \u201cIf an opportunity comes naturally, I take it. Of course, there are fights where you must knock your opponent out or shouldn\u2019t let it go to the scorecards. But in fights like [Stephen] Fulton<\/a>, Marlon Tapales<\/a>, Nery, and Akhmadaliev \u2013 since moving up to super bantamweight \u2013 I never went in planning to force a stoppage. What was unique about the Akhmadaliev fight was that even when I saw moments where I could have gone for the finish, I held myself back. That was the first time in my career.\u201d<\/p>\n

FanDuel lists Inoue as a staggering 45-1 favorite over Picasso (32-0-1, 17 KOs), the WBC\u2019s No. 2 contender. Their 12-round, 122-pound fight for Inoue\u2019s Ring, IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO belts will headline \u201cThe Ring V: Night of the Samurai\u201d show at Mohammed Abdo Arena.<\/p>\n

DAZN will stream the card to subscribers of its monthly Ultimate plan ($44.99 in the United States; \u00a324.99 in the UK) or on pay-per-view ($39.99 in the U.S.; \u00a319.99 in the UK)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Keith Idec is a senior writer and columnist for The Ring. He can be reached on X @idecboxing.<\/p>\n

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