JUNTO Nakatani and Ryosuke Nishida will clash in a bantamweight world title unification bout on June 8 at Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, Japan.
Japan dominates the 118-pound division, with all four major world titles held by its boxers: Nakatani (WBC), Nishida (IBF), Seiya Tsutsumi (WBA), and Yoshiki Takei (WBO).
Two months ago, Nakatani stopped David Cuellar in three rounds. After the fight, Nishida confronted him in the ring, and the two agreed to a unification showdown later this year. The date is now set.
Nakatani, 27, is in his second year as WBC bantamweight champion, having previously won world titles at super-flyweight and flyweight. A victory could position him to challenge for a world title in a fourth weight class by year’s end, potentially against Japan’s top boxer, Naoya Inoue. At last month’s Japanese Boxing Commission Awards ceremony, Nakatani and Inoue shook hands, signalling a future blockbuster fight. However, Inoue has his own challenge first, defending his undisputed 122-pound title against Ramon Cardenas on May 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Nishida, 28, boasts an undefeated 10-0 record with 2 KOs. He claimed the IBF bantamweight title with a unanimous decision over two-time champion Emmanuel Rodriguez in May 2024. Eight months later, he retained his belt by knocking out Anuchai Donsua in the seventh round, marking only his second stoppage win. In contrast, Nakatani has stopped 23 of his 30 opponents, showcasing his impressive yet effortlesss power.
The undercard features rising bantamweight star Tenshin Nasukawa (6-0, 2 KOs), who could move closer to a world title shot with a win over Victor Santillan (14-1, 5 KOs). Santillan’s sole loss came against Sho Ishida in June 2023.
At the press conference announcing the unification bout, Nakatani declared, “I’ve been looking for this kind of fight. I’m ready to raise the level of all my skills.” Nishida responded, “I see no choice but to fight a boxer who people say is stronger than me. I’m not going to be a stepping stone for him.”
