UNIFIED WBC and IBF bantamweight world champion Junto Nakatani is continuing to home in on a legendary clash with Naoya Inoue. Today, he announced his decision to vacate his belts, confirming a move up to the super-bantamweight division.
Nakatani, 31-0 (24 KOs), halted Alexandro Santiago on his 118lb debut to claim the WBC title, before making three defences within 12 months, overcoming each of Vincent Astrolabio, Tasana Salapat and David Cuellar Contreras by knockout.
In June, the three-division conqueror further added to his legacy, extending his stoppage streak to five as he ran through IBF titleholder Ryosuke Nishida to become a unified world champion.
However, it always seemed unlikely that the 27-year-old southpaw would stick around long enough to hunt for the undisputed crown, especially amid rumours of a generational showdown with fellow Japanese superstar, Naoya Inoue, 31-0 (27 KOs).
Throughout 2025, rumours have suggested that the pair will fight on the same bill in December in Riyadh, before facing one another in May 2026 – assuming both men come through their respective Saudi bouts unscathed.
Yesterday, the truth of those whispers was all but admitted, as Nakatani held a press conference to announce his decision to vacate his world titles and declare a fight with Inoue as his target, as per Sanspo.
“That [Inoue fight in May] is what I should aim for. I have no choice but to ask myself what I need to do to achieve that and continue to grow.”
Today, it was announced that Inoue will take on Alan David Picasso Romero, 32-0-1 (17 KOs), on Saturday, December 27, atop the Riyadh bill during the festive period.
Meanwhile, Nakatani will face another undefeated Mexican on what will be his super-bantamweight debut, tasked with 24-year-old knockout artist, Sebastian Hernandez Reyes, 20-0 (18 KOs), in the co-main event of a must-watch card.
