After posting separate title fight wins on the same show in November, Naoya Inoue and Nordine Oubaali now have the same amount of time to negotiate terms for the next time they step in the ring.
It just won’t come against each other.
Upon his title-unifying points win and World Boxing Super Series championship claim over Nonito Donaire this past November, Inoue has now been ordered to begin negotiations for a mandatory title defense of his International Boxing Federation (IBF) bantamweight title versus Philippines’ Michael Dasmarinas.
“Inoue and Dasmarinas were ordered to begin negotiations on Dec. 3,” IBF spokesperson Jeanette Salazar confirmed to BoxingScene.com on Monday. “They have 30 days (to come to terms).”
In the event a deal cannot be reached, the fight will be subject to a purse bid hearing in early January, to take place at IBF headquarters in Springfield Township, New Jersey.
Inoue (19-0, 16KOs) won the IBF title with a rousing 2nd round knockout of Emmanuel Rodriguez in May. He added the WBA belt to his collection following his spirited win over Donaire (40-6, 26KOs) this past November in Saitama, Japan. The same show saw Oubaali defend his World Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight title in a 12-round win over previously unbeaten Takuma Inoue, Naoya’s younger brother.
The hope was for a three-belt unification to come out of the night, with several subplots involved in such a fight. Oubaali, however, was ordered by the WBC to make his own mandatory defense versus Donaire, with the two also due to reach a deal before the imposed January 3, 2020 deadline.
With that comes Inoue’s being mandated to next face Dasmarinas (30-2-1, 20KOs) a streaking southpaw from the Philippines who has been the IBF number one contender since a 12-round win over Kenny Demecillo in their final eliminator this past March in Pasay City, Philippines.
As the IBF and all of the other sanctioning bodies allowed the WBSS tournament to run uninterrupted—though with the intention of ordering mandatory title fights upon its conclusion—Dasmarinas took on a stay-busy fight, knocking out sub .500 bantamweight Artid Bamrunguaea this past Octobet in Valenzuela City, Philippines. The win ran his unbeaten streak to 13 straight win with a loss dating back to January 2015.
Dasmarinas is co-promoted by Manny Pacquiao Promotions and Art Monis’ Hardstone Monis Boxing. They have been ordered to begin negotiations with Inoue’s team, Ohashi Promotions and recent addition Top Rank Inc., who inked the unbeaten pound-for-pound entrant following his win over Donaire.
Inoue’s first fight under his co-promotional pact with Top Rank is targeted for April, with the three-division and reigning unified bantamweight titlist suggesting to reporters in Japan of a Las Vegas debut for his first adventure.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox