Naoya Inoue’s first fight on American soil since 2021 resulted in a successful defense of his undisputed junior featherweight championship against Ramon Cardenas, though the fight was full of unexpected drama. Inoue, who entered as a massive favorite, was dropped by a perfect Cardenas hook in the second round and had to navigate some choppy waters before finally breaking Cardenas down to score an eighth round TKO.
Cardenas, knowing he would have to earn Inoue’s respect early, tried to get off to a strong start by showing a quick jab that he landed several times. Without power coming behind Cardenas’ jab, Inoue continued in his standard mode of firing his own jab to set up whipping right hands. That culminated in a heavy straight right connecting for Inoue at the end of the opening frame.
Cardenas then flipped the entire fight in the second round. After showing more aggression and forcing Inoue backward early in the round, Cardenas took advantage of Inoue’s attempt to return the aggression and landed a left hook counter, dropping Inoue to the canvas in a shocking moment.
Inoue beat the count, but Cardenas clearly felt he had found the key to pulling off a titanic upset. Cardenas began sitting down on counter shots while occasionally exploding forward with flurries to the body and head. All the while, Inoue was firing jabs and throwing right hands either around or through Cardenas’ guard.
Inoue seemed to have solved the puzzle in the fourth round, unloading with heavy punches and combinations to the body and head and finally forcing Cardenas backward more than in previous rounds.
Inoue hit a sneaky right hand midway through the sixth round, sending Cardenas backing into the ropes. Inoue tried to pounce with a constant flurry of punches that Cardenas weathered before firing back with his own assault. Inoue ended the round with another assault in a wild round that continued to show massive heart from the underdog.
Cardenas continued to battle back every time it appeared Inoue was breaking him down, but the Inoue assault finally caught up in the sixth round as he landed a series of straight right hands that caused Cardenas to fall into the corner with the ropes holding him up, resulting in a knockdown.
Inoue was not ready to let Cardenas off the hook as Round 8 started. From the start of the round, Inoue was rolling forward and Cardenas was again stumbled into the ropes. Inoue continued to throw shots until the referee jumped in to halt the bout. Cardenas protested the referee’s decision, but his own corner had said prior to the start of the frame that they were only giving him one more round to turn things around and the punishment was getting to be too much.
“I think watching the fight tonight, everybody is very aware that I like to brawl,” Inoue said after his victory. “I was very surprised [by the knockdown], but I was able to calmly put myself together.”
With the win, Inoue improved to 30-0 as a professional, with 27 wins by knockout. The win over Cardenas was Inoue’s fourth defense of his undisputed title (he was also previously undisputed at bantamweight prior to moving up in weight).
It appears Inoue will remain at junior featherweight for his next fight as he said a long-awaited fight with WBA interim champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev would take place later in the year.
“Next, September, MJ,” Inoue said.