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Naoya Inoue Set For Ramon Cardenas Clash In May Before His Next Fight Against Murodjon Akhmadaliev In Tokyo In September 4r342i
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It has been confirmed that the Naoya Inoue next fight will take place in Las Vegas in May against Ramon Cardenas, before another undisputed super-bantamweight clash with Murodjon Akhmadaliev in September in Tokyo.
Naoya Inoue Next Fight: ‘Monster’ Defends Undisputed Super-Bantamweight Titles vs Ramon Cardenas 5e202v
Although his last fight was just in January 2025, boxing fans are already talking about Naoya Inoue‘s next fight and who they want to see the ‘Monster’ in the ring with next.
The Japanese boxing superstar is the undisputed world super-bantamweight champion, as well as being a four-weight world champion and Naoya Inoue’s record is now an impressive 29-0, including winning 26 of these fights via knockout.
There is even more talk and conversation about Inoue’s next fight, which has been confirmed for May 4th in Las Vegas against Ramon Cardenas. For just the fifth time in his career and first time in over four years, Naoya Inoue’s next fight will be outside of Japan.
Inoue has beaten all comers at 122-pounds now, with boxing fans calling for the 31-year-old to move up another weight class to featherweight in an attempt to become a five-division world champion. That could be on the cards for Inoue, but not for his next fight.
Instead, it has been officially confirmed that the Japanese boxing superstar will defend his Ring Magazine, WBC, WBA, WBO & IBF World Super-Bantamweight Titles against the 26-1 Ramon Cardenas on Sunday, May 4 at the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas.
Should he come through that fight unscathed, which the best UK boxing betting sites are expecting him to do, Inoue will then return to Japan later in the year to defend his undisputed 122-pound titles against Murodjon Akhmadaliev on September 14th in Tokyo.
After that, it seems that all roads could lead to a move up to featherweight or a potential all-Japan super-fight with Junto Nakatani at some stage in 2026.
‼️ Naoya Inoue will defend his undisputed Ring, WBA, WBC, IBF & WBO super-bantamweight world titles vs Ramon Cardenas on Sunday, May 4th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and will then fight Murodjon Akhmadaliev on Sept 14th in Tokyo if he wins, The Ring has learned. pic.twitter.com/MLVAMqKKIx
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) March 6, 2025
Could Inoue’s Next Fight See A Move Up To Featherweight In An Attempt At Becoming A Five-Weight World Champion? 712824
Naoya Inoue’s next fight against Ramon Cardenas, and the Murodjon Akhmadaliev, are contests the best online bookmakers are expecting him to win. After that however, 2026 could be a massive year for ‘Monster’ with potential bouts against Junto Nakatani or any of the world featherweight champions.
Time will tell whether this happens or not, but it is certainly an option for the 31-year-old as he seeks new challenges. A move up to 126-pounds could be a stretch for Inoue, given the sheer size disadvantage he’d have to overcome.
WBA World Featherweight Champion Nick Ball is one of the smallest champions at 126-pounds. In fact, Inoue is actually taller than Ball, which is why a fight between the pair could make sense if Inoue was to move up to featherweight next year.
Rafael Espinoza, the WBO 126-pound king, is 6″1 and probably walks about at around 150-pounds outside of camp. That seems too much of a weight disparity for Inoue, who perhaps only walks around at a maximum of nine stone outside of training camp.
IBF king Angelo Leo is also a bit bigger than Inoue, so that would also be a tricky fight. That being said, Stephen Fulton now holds the WBC World Featherweight Title – a fighter that Inoue has already beaten with relative ease. Who’s to say Inoue can’t win world honours in a fifth weight class.
Saudi Arabia boxing chief His Excellency Turki Alalshikh now firmly has Inoue on board, so expect big fights from here on out for the Japanese superstar.
Be sure to claim the various boxing betting offers and free bet deals available on the SportsCasting site ahead of Naoya Inoue’s next fight.