UNDISPUTED super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue looks set to fight Ramon Cardenas in the first of a two-fight plan for the Japanese superstar.
In a report published by The Ring, Inoue v Cardenas will take place on May 4 at the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas. Should the best 122lb fighter on the planet emerge victorious he will then be back at home to face long-time WBA mandatory challenger Murodjon Akhmadaliev on September 14.
Fans last saw Inoue, 29-0 (26 KOs), in action on January 24 when he knocked out Ye Joon Kim to retain his four world titles. Kim, however, was a late replacement for Sam Goodman. The Australian withdrew two weeks beforehand after a cut reopened forcing him to pull out. The laceration, caused in sparring, originally forced Goodman to postpone their December 24 meeting as well.
Cardenas, the current WBA number two contender, began his career fighting at the 122lb mark before a five-fight run between September 2016 and March 2017 which saw him fight between 127lbs and 131lbs. The Mexican has fought as low as 117lbs but is back at super bantamweight and on a 14-fight win streak since suffering his only career loss back in 2017 to Danny Flores. Facing, Inoue, however will not only represent a significant step up in class for Cardenas, 26-1 (14 KOs), but the first time he will fight over the 12-round championship distance.
Akhmadaliev, 13-1 (10 KOs), has been campaigning over 36 minutes since his eighth contest when he dethroned unified 122lb champion Danny Roman. The 2016 Olympian hopes of facing Inoue sooner were dashed in September 2022 when Marlon Tapales earned a split decision win against him before going on to face the ‘Monster’ for the undisputed title in December 2023 where he was knocked out in the 10th round.
The Uzbeki southpaw was in line to face the winner and his chances grew furthermore when Akhmadaliev was installed as the WBA mandatory contender. Inoue’s team successfully applied for an exception, however, leaving the challenger frustrated.
Speaking to Boxing News last September Akhamdaliev said, “I can box, I can punch, I can fight, I can wrestle. I can do whatever it is. I’m a strong guy, I have a lot of skills and they know it, his team knows it and they don’t wanna risk it. They’re afraid they’re gonna lose.”
The southpaw has won two on the spin since the defeat to Tapales and looked in fine form last time out in a third-round stoppage win against Ricardo Espinoza Franco.
