Given what took place hours earlier in Las Vegas, there was little that Naoya Inoue could do to further advance – or even hold his previous place – in the mythical pound-for-pound rankings.
The unbeaten four-division and reigning 122lbs champion proceeded to do what was directly in his control – deliver another world-class performance.
Inoue retained his undisputed junior-featherweight crown after a victory over former unified titlist Murodjon Akhmadaliev. The scores were 117-111, 118-110 and 118-110 for Inoue over 12 rounds at the IG Arena in Nagoya, Japan.
The bout capped a title-fight tripleheader but also trailed a historic moment produced by Terence Crawford’s dethroning of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez to claim the undisputed 168lbs crown on Saturday evening. The significance of the bout was that Crawford was ranked one spot lower than Inoue in many pound-for-pound rankings and both were behind undisputed heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk.
Inoue, 32, essentially dropped to number three on the list even before the bell sounded for his 24th primary title fight spanning four weight divisions. To add to the occasion, the event boasted the ringside presence of unbeaten three-division champ Junto Nakatani, who is on course for a potential clash with Inoue sometime next spring.
Inoue immediately worked his jab and established the pace against Uzbekistan’s Akhmadaliev, who started slowly before he let his hands go late in the round. Inoue slipped most of the incoming and ended the round with a left hook upstairs.
Akhmadaliev’s pre-fight guarantee of a knockout victory didn’t come any closer to fruition in the second. Inoue continued to work his jab, which left Akhmadaliev, 30, well out of effective punching range; his left hands out of his southpaw stance fell well short.
The same pattern held true in the third. Inoue worked the jab and also established his straight right hand to the body. Akhmadaliev was forced to play defense as Inoue’s perpetual motion continued to cause fits. Inoue connected with a right hand and left hook, then later avoided a left hook downstairs to connect with a sweeping right.
Akhmadaliev marginally closed the gap in the fourth, courtesy of his right jab.
Most of the Uzbek’s best moments, however, were buried by Inoue’s flair to both initiate and finish the majority of their exchanges. Akhmadaliev refused to concede, as he charged forward in search of a home for his straight lefts and right hooks. Inoue adjusted and connected with a right hand. Akhmadaliev managed a right hook just before the bell.
Inoue connected with a combination to start the fifth. Akhmadaliev stood his ground and responded with a right hook. His effort to replicate the moment saw the Uzbek southpaw miss the mark. Inoue waved in his challenger, who obliged in a moment that led to a brief exchange at center ring. Akhmadaliev landed a pair of lefts with just under a minute to go in the round. Inoue wrapped up the frame with a body shot and right hand upstairs, bookending a left from Akhmadaliev.
Arguably the best round of the fight for Akhmadaliev, the momentum was short-lived. Inoue resumed full control in the middle rounds. Akhmadaliev’s pre-fight – and year-long – claim that Inoue was ducking him lost steam with each passing frame. Inoue controlled the pace and rarely allowed Akhmadaliev an opportunity to land anything big, even when directly in the line of fire.
Inoue rattled off a right-left-right combination midway through the ninth after a dominant showing in the eighth. Akhmadaliev waved in the long-reigning champ but couldn’t offer much more than the brief moment of machismo. Inoue repeatedly scored with his right hand, as well as an uppercut that bounced off sweat from Akhmadaliev’s head.
The swelling around the right eye of Akhmadaliev was telling of Inoue’s dominance to that point. Still, the visiting former titlist refused to wilt as he came out firing to start the 10th. Inoue was prepared for the moment and playfully moved out of the way before he returned fire. Akhmadaliev managed a left hand and right hook upstairs, but even that moment was met with a left hook and a right by Inoue.
All that was left as the bout entered the final two rounds was whether Inoue’s 11-fight knockout streak would end. Not since his first fight with Nonito Donaire in November 2019 had Inoue been forced to go to the scorecards.
It would have to serve as a consolation prize for Akhmadaliev, as the concept of an upset was all but lost. His head trainer Joel Diaz pleaded for him to let his hands go but those moments were always met with power combinations from Inoue. A body shot and a right hand to the chin punctuated the 11th round for Inoue.
The 12th and final round was similar to its predecessors. Inoue bounced on his toes with the energy of a fighter awaiting the opening bell. On the other side of the equation, Akhmadaliev became desperate as he missed wildly with power shots. A dramatic right hook landed late in the fight and buckled Inoue’s knees, but the defending champ quickly recovered to finish the fight and wrap up his latest defense.
Inoue, 31-0 (28 KOs), lodged the sixth overall defense of at least two 122lbs titles and his fifth as the division’s undisputed champion. His reign dates back to his eighth-round knockout of the unbeaten Stephen Fulton in July 2023 to claim the WBC and WBO belts.
Just five months later, Inoue – a former undisputed 118lbs king – made history as Japan’s first-ever two-division fully unified champ. The feat came courtesy of a 10th-round knockout of Marlon Tapales to add the WBA and IBF belts to his collection.
Ironically, Tapales entered the equation only after a disputed points win over Akhmadaliev (14-2, 11 KOs), in April 2023. The setback not only forced Akhmadaliev out of the title picture, but led to a delay of more than a year even after he made his way back as the WBA mandatory challenger.
The bout was twice ordered by the sanctioning body, only for both moments to lead to Inoue being granted voluntary defenses. Akhmadaliev took to the media to plead his case, but had to settle for an interim WBA title fight, which he won via a knockout win over Ricardo Espinoza in December. A win in May already came with an agreement in place to face Inoue on this date. Akhmadaliev failed to seize the moment, as he snapped a three-fight win streak in the process.
For what it’s worth, Inoue credited his own masterclass performance to the level of dedication it took to defeat a fighter on the level of Akhmadaliev.
“I was so motivated to face a fighter as good as Murodjon Akhmadaliev,” Inoue said in post-fight comments translated by Mizuka Koike. “He is so good at boxing. Because of him, I was able to fight so good tonight.”
The sentiment was shared by his co-promoter Bob Arum, whose Top Rank company has served as Inoue’s US representative since 2019.
“We’ve seen what a complete fighter Inoue has become,” said the 93-year-old Arum, who made the overseas trip as he’s done for all of Inoue’s defenses in Japan since the pandemic. “He has great power, great footwork – attributes that all of the all-time greats have. This man demonstrated it.”
In addition to extending his lengthy reign, Inoue continued his run as the most active male champion in the sport. Sunday marked his third win of the year, and there are already plans for a title defense against Mexico’s Alan David Picasso on December 27.
That fight is due to take place as part of Riyadh Season in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It is expected to include Nakatani, 31-0 (24 KOs), in his junior-featherweight debut – reportedly against Sebastian Hernandez.
Wins by Inoue and Nakatani are expected to lead to a head-on collision in the biggest fight in Japanese boxing history.
“I have a plan to fight later this year in Saudi Arabia,” Inoue confirmed, before he made a point of turning his attention directly to his countryman. “One more fight, and then I will get to you, Junto Nakatani.”
Jake Donovan is an award-winning journalist who served as a senior writer for BoxingScene from 2007-2024, and news editor for the final nine years of his first tour. He was also the lead writer for The Ring before his decision to return home. Follow Jake on X and Instagram.
