The Naoya Inoue next fight news has arrived, and “The Monster” is set to return on May 4 in his fourth defense of the undisputed super bantamweight championship.
Who will Naoya Inoue fight next?
Coming off a fourth-round knockout victory against Kim Ye-joon on January 24, Naoya Inoue (29-0, 26 KOs) will return to the United States for the first time in nearly four years this May. Now, he will seek to retain the WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, and WBO super bantamweight titles in a clash with Ramon Cardenas (26-1, 14 KOs).
How to watch Naoya Inoue vs. Ramon Cardenas on May 4
- Inoue vs. Cardenas will headline a Top Rank card on May 4
- The fight will take place inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada
- The card will air live on ESPN+
Naoya Inoue vs. Ramon Cardenas preview
Naoya Inoue is currently on a streak of 10 consecutive stoppage wins in his last 10 fights, with his last decision victory dating back to November 2019. Will Cardenas face a similar fate against the reigning undisputed super bantamweight champion?
Building a legacy: Inoue made a statement in his debut at 122 pounds. Scoring an eighth-round TKO win over Stephen Fulton for the WBO and WBC super bantamweight titles in July 2023. In a unification fight against then-WBA (Super) and IBF super bantamweight champion Marlon Tapales, Inoue knocked Tapales out in the tenth round to claim the 122-pound undisputed championship.
The Zama native has stopped each of his opponents in three defenses of his championships.
Just another opponent?: Cardenas is a 29-year-old fighting out of San Antonio, Texas. The nine-year veteran lacks high-profile fights and has never competed in a world championship bout. He will have a tough task in his first opportunity against the four-division world champion Inoue.
The Bottom Line: Inoue will be a heavy favorite when he steps into the ring against the unheralded Cardenas. The pressure will definitely be on the underdog. Who hasn’t competed at this stage or against any opponents near the caliber of the defending champion.
With fierce speed and explosive power, Inoue won’t settle for anything short of dominance as he seeks to retain his titles.
What makes Naoya Inoue so popular?
In Naoya Inoue’s nearly 13-year professional career, he captured world championships in four weight classes: light flyweight, junior bantamweight, bantamweight, and super bantamweight. He is one of only three male boxers to become undisputed champion in two weight classes in the four-belt era (super bantamweight, bantamweight).
Let’s look at some other key accolades “The Monster” has achieved during his impressive career.
- Naoya Inoue record: 29-0 (26 knockouts)
- In 29 professional fights, Inoue has yet to taste defeat.
- He made his professional debut at age 19 in 2012.
- Only three of his 29 fights have gone to the scorecards.
- He is the first and only boxer to win the undisputed championship at super bantamweight.
- In his three defenses of the undisputed super bantamweight championship, he holds victories over Luis Nery, TJ Doheny, and Kim Ye-joon.
- Ranked number three on ESPN’s men’s pound-for-pound rankings.
Naoya Inoue net worth
The measure of a fighter’s success is the dollars and cents they stack up from a career in combat sports. Naoya Inoue’s net worth is estimated to be around $7 million.
