Naoya Inoue built up a 24-5 power punches landed advantage over the first three rounds. Marlon Tapales came alive in the fourth round, where he threw 53 punches, his fight high. Unfortunately for him, Inoue knocked him down at the end of the round.
Despite the knockdown, Tapales’ resurgence continued. His timely counterpunching limited Inoue to single digits in landed punches in rounds seven and eight after Inoue had strung together five consecutive rounds of double digit lands.
