Rest of 2025 mapped out for Inoue starting May 4 in Las Vegas
'The Monster' faces Cardenas, then it's back to Japan to fight 'MJ' and then he'll head to Saudi Arabia
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The rest of 2025 has been mapped out for Japanese pound-for-pound star Naoya Inoue and it will begin a defense of the undisputed junior featherweight championship in his return to the United States.
“The Monster” will make his fifth overall 122-pound defense and fourth of the undisputed crown when he squares off with Ramon Cardenas in the main event of a Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card on May 4 — a Sunday — at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Top Rank announced on Wednesday.
“Naoya Inoue is among the most powerful and well-rounded fighters I’ve had the privilege of promoting, a singular boxing talent,” Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said. “After many years selling out arenas and stadiums in his native Japan, ‘The Monster’ is ready to take over Las Vegas on Cinco de Mayo weekend. Ramon Cardenas is a worthy challenger who has earned this opportunity with several impressive victories.”
Although it has not been announced yet, sources told Fight Freaks Unite that WBO featherweight titlist Rafael Espinoza (26-0, 22 KOs), 30, of Mexico, who is a potential opponent for Inoue when he eventually moves up in weight again, will make his third defense in the co-feature against Edward Vazquez (17-2, 4 KOs), 29, of Fort Worth, Texas. Vaszquez has won two fights in a row since a heavily disputed majority decision loss challenging then-junior lightweight titleholder Joe Cordina in November 2023 in Monte Carlo.
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All along the plan had been for Inoue, a four-division champion and two-division undisputed champion, to return this spring to box in the U.S., where has fought three times before but not since back-to-back fights in Las Vegas during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021.
“I am thankful to the fans in America who have followed my career,” Inoue said. “Fighting at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas is another career highlight, and I look forward to putting on a great show for everyone in attendance. Cardenas is a tough opponent who I respect for accepting the fight without hesitation.”
After Inoue knocked out late replacement Ye Joon Kim, who filled in for injured mandatory challenger Sam Goodman, in the fourth round on Jan. 24 in Tokyo, the plans for him to come stateside again ramped up with Mexican contender Alan David Picasso (31-0-1, 17 KOs) the preferred opponent.
When that deal did not work out, Cardenas (26-1, 14 KOs), 29, of San Antonio, got the opportunity. He has won 14 fights in a row since a 10-round majority decision loss to Danny Flores in 2017 but will be taking a monumental step up in the level of his competition against Inoue.
“This means the world to me. I’ve always aspired to fight for a world title, but to get a chance to fight for all the belts is a dream come true,” Cardenas said. “I always knew our paths would cross. I never had any doubts. When the fight was offered, I instantly accepted. I wouldn’t say it’s a lottery ticket, but you can’t turn it down if you get a chance at the undisputed title. This is the opportunity of a lifetime.”
Should Inoue win and remain healthy, the plans call for two more fights after Cardenas this year.
Inoue (29-0, 26 KOs), 31, who is 24-0 with 22 KOs in world title fights, would return to Japan for a fight penciled in for Sept. 14 against WBA interim titlist and overdue mandatory challenger Murodjon “MJ” Akhmadaliev (13-1, 10 KOs), 30, a southpaw from Uzbekistan and a former unified titleholder. Akhmadaliev manager Vadim Kornilov told Fight Freaks Unite they have agreed to terms to step aside to allow the Inoue-Cardenas fight, although the agreement has not yet been signed.
If Inoue makes it past Akhmadaliev and is in good health, he would have another fight at the end of the year in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This past November, he signed a sponsorship deal with Turki Alalshikh and Riyadh Season.
“2025 will be will be the year for me to go to other countries to fight," Inoue said after knocking out Kim. “I am planning to fight in Las Vegas and then Saudi Arabia later this year. Please root for me wherever I go. Support me in my journey around the world.”
Inoue-Cardenas will cap an extremely busy three-day stretch in boxing at the highest level. On May 2 in New York’s Time Square, Alalshikh is putting on a tripleheader with the Ryan Garcia-Rolando Romero WBA “regular” welterweight title bout, Devin Haney-Jose Ramirez in a welterweight fight and lineal/WBO junior welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez against Arnold Barboza Jr. On May 3, Canelo Alvarez and William Scull will meet in a super middleweight unification fight for the undisputed title in Riyadh on another card Alalshikh is putting on.
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Inoue photo: Naoki Fukuda
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It will be interesting to see how big the crowd is