Inoue vs Nakatani: Last three fights before May 2 showdown

Inoue vs Nakatani lands on May 2, 2026, at the Tokyo Dome for the undisputed super bantamweight title, in front of a sellout crowd. Both men walk in 32-0. Both have been world champions across multiple weights. The most sensible way to look at who you’re backing is to examine their recent form. Here, we examine the last three fights of both before the boxing world finally sees Naoya Inoue vs Junto Nakatani.

Inoue vs Nakatani, six fights between them across 2025, with the details of who they beat and how they won.

Inoue vs Nakatani: Naoya Inoue’s last three

On December 27, 2025, Inoue faced Alan David Picasso at the Mohammed Abdo Arena, Riyadh. Inoue retained the undisputed super bantamweight titles on scores of 120-108, 119-109 and 117-111 over a 12-round unanimous decision schooling. He looked relaxed for long stretches, picking his shots well, as he controlled the distance and tempo against a brave opponent. Picasso took his first loss; Inoue moved to 32-0.

On September 14, 2025, the “Monster” finally faced Murodjon Akhmadaliev at the IG Arena, Nagoya. The toughest fight of the 2025 run. Akhmadaliev, a former unified champion at the weight, gave Inoue rounds and forced him to box off the back foot in stretches. Despite this, Inoue looked comfortable for large parts of the fight, and won by unanimous decision, with scores of 117-111 and 118-110 x2.

On May 4, 2025, Inoue faced Ramon Cardenas at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. A Las Vegas stop on what has become a global calendar. Cardenas caught Inoue with a left hook in round two and put him on the canvas for the first time as a super bantamweight. It was a punch that stunned all who were watching. Inoue got up, tightened the defence, and stopped Cardenas in the eighth on the Cinco de Mayo weekend card, winning by TKO.

Inoue vs Nakatani: Junto Nakatani’s last three

On December 27, 2025, Nakatani had a baptism of fire on his super bantamweight debut, defeating the tough Sebastian Hernandez Reyes at the Mohammed Abdo Arena, Riyadh. The Japanese star finished the fight with a swollen eye after engaging in a tough 12-round fight with the Mexican. It was a close fight, where Sebastian Hernandez Reyes kept walking Nakatani down and more than had his moments, but the cleaner work from Nakatani was the difference, as he won by unanimous decision, with scores of 115-113, 115-113 and 118-110.

On June 8, 2025, Nakatani fought Ryosuke Nishida at the Ariake Coliseum in a bantamweight unification bout. Nakatani’s laser-like accuracy caused severe damage to Nishida’s right eye, forcing his corner to pull him out between rounds six and seven, with Nakatani becoming the unified WBC and IBF bantamweight champion.

Junto Nakatani faced David Cuellar Contreras at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo on February 24, 2025. It was ultimately a dominant WBC bantamweight defence for the Japanese star, with a left hand in the third round getting the job done. A KO win for “Big Bang.”

Inoue vs Nakatani: What the tape says

Inoue has been taken rounds by Picasso and Akhmadaliev and floored by Cardenas inside twelve months. Nakatani has been taken the full distance once, in a tough fight against Reyes. 

The Tokyo Dome will be rocking on May 2 as these superstars of Japanese boxing collide for undisputed super bantamweight glory.

The last three fights give us a hint, but Inoue vs Nakatani on May 2 will reveal who is the undisputed king of the super bantamweight division.