Naoya Inoue: record, next fight and profile →
Undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue returns to the ring Friday at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, against South Korea’s Ye Joon Kim. The bout will stream live on ESPN+.
Naoya Inoue will now defend his world junior featherweight championship against South Korea’s Ye Joon Kim on January 24 following the withdrawal of original opponent, Sam Goodman
The cut that initially postponed Sam Goodman’s fight with Naoya Inoue has now caused Goodman to pull out of their rescheduled date.
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Boxing has a history of making 'fun' fights, some which guaranteed excitement from the offset and others that we didn't expect to be made at all
Our writers draw up their big-fight wish lists for 2025
There might be some huge nights ahead in 2025, with speculation that Terence Crawford could finally land the Canelo Alvarez fight, that Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury will finally get to box at Wembley Stadium, and we also know that several excellent matches are on tap, not least at 175lbs where Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol rematch on February 22 and David Benavidez and David Morrell fight three weeks earlier.
Among all of boxing’s conundrums, the case of Murodjon “M.J.” Akhmadaliev and how he can get a fight with Naoya Inoue is high on the list of the most perplexing.
Sam Goodman won’t be fighting undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue – not in 2024, at least. The unbeaten contender suffered an injury in training camp
As impressive as Naoya Inoue's run has been, there is a fight waiting for him in 2025 with countryman and and current WBC bantamweight titleholder Junto Nakatani that would be an all-timer in Japan.