TOKYO — Naoya Inoue retained his undisputed super bantamweight world title with a unanimous decision over Junto Nakatani at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo on May 2, 2026. The judges scored the 12-round bout 116-112, 115-113 and 116-112 in favor of Inoue before a sold-out crowd of 55,000.

Both fighters entered the contest unbeaten at 32-0. The bout was billed as the biggest boxing match in Japanese history. The area around the stadium was thronged with fans hours before the doors opened.

The two boxers exchanged smiles and fist bumps throughout the match. A clash of heads late in the 10th round opened a cut above Nakatani's eye.

With the victory, Inoue extended his winning streak in world title bouts to 28 and improved his overall record to 33 victories, with 27 knockouts. Nakatani, nicknamed "Big Bang," dropped to 32-1, with 24 knockouts. The fight was only his second bout at super bantamweight after he moved up a division late last year. Nakatani has held world titles in three different weight classes and regularly features in The Ring magazine's top 10 pound-for-pound rankings.

Speaking after the fight, Inoue, known as "the Monster," addressed the difficulty of the contest. "It was different to the fights I've had before, with the pressure. So I'm relieved that I won," Inoue said. "As you all know, Nakatani is a mentally strong boxer. The fact that he is in the top 10 pound-for-pound rankings makes this win worthwhile."

Inoue indicated that he intends to continue his career. "I don't know if tonight was a legendary night or not, but that's coming soon," he said. "Tonight isn't the end point of my boxing career, and there's still time to create more legendary occasions."

Inoue, who beat Luis Nery at the Tokyo Dome in May 2024, signaled a desire to return to the venue. "I will be back at the Tokyo Dome, so please let me savour this view again," he said.

Nakatani offered praise for his opponent after the loss. "But he fought like a champion, and he's a great boxer," Nakatani said.