Naoya Inoue Beats Junto Nakatani By Decision After Tactical 12-Round Battle At Tokyo Dome – Highlights

Inoue beat Nakatani by unanimous decision after 12 tense rounds, winning 116-112, 115-113, and 116-112.

Written by Jake Blend
Last updated on May 2nd, 2026
Naoya Inoue
Naoya Inoue - Image via @DAZNBoxing X.com

Naoya Inoue stayed perfect, but Junto Nakatani made him earn it over 12 rounds at the Tokyo Dome.

Inoue defeated Nakatani by unanimous decision Saturday in Tokyo, taking the scorecards 116-112, 115-113, and 116-112. The result moved Inoue to 33-0 with 27 knockouts, while Nakatani fell to 32-1 with 24 knockouts after the first loss of his professional career.

Watch the pre-fight atmosphere below:

Inoue, known as “The Monster,” is a four-division world champion and one of the few male boxers in the four-belt era to become undisputed in two weight classes. Nakatani entered as an unbeaten three-division world champion, bringing a southpaw stance, longer frame, and real finishing power into the biggest fight of his career.

Inoue Builds The Lead Before Nakatani Forces A Fight Late

Round 1 opened with both men careful and patient. Inoue took the center of the ring, worked behind the jab, and landed the cleanest early punch with a strong right hand. Nakatani touched the body and tried to measure range, but Inoue’s cleaner single shots gave him the opener.

Round 2 stayed tense, with Inoue making the body a clear target. He mixed jabs downstairs with a right hook to the midsection and kept Nakatani reacting instead of leading. Nakatani landed a jab late, but Inoue’s timing and body work were sharper.

Round 3 remained tactical. Nakatani stayed cautious about opening himself up, while Inoue kept touching the body and slowly raised the pace. There was no wild swing in momentum, but Inoue landed the more meaningful punches and continued building the lead.

Round 4 gave Inoue one of his best early sequences. Nakatani landed a jab, but Inoue answered with a counter to the body, stayed calm when Nakatani missed big, and closed with a sharp combination. Nakatani was competitive, but Inoue’s accuracy separated them.

Watch early highlights below:

Round 5 was Inoue’s clearest round of the first half. He snapped the jab, landed right hands, and kept Nakatani from starting exchanges on his terms. Nakatani finally connected with something cleaner near the end, but most of the round belonged to Inoue’s jab and body attack.

Round 6 tightened up. Nakatani showed more urgency with the left hand and started taking small risks, but Inoue held the center and picked his spots. Nakatani’s confidence grew late, though Inoue still appeared to edge it with cleaner, more controlled work.

Round 7 saw Nakatani open up more with combinations. Inoue answered with jabs to the head and body, then closed the round with enough clean work to stay in front. The fight was becoming more uncomfortable, but Inoue was still winning the details.

Round 8 brought one of the better exchanges of the fight. Nakatani landed a right hand and a clean left hook, using his size more effectively. Inoue responded with quick combinations and a steady jab, including a three-jab sequence that stopped Nakatani from taking over.

Watch the middle-round action below:

Round 9 was Nakatani’s best round to that point. Inoue appeared to slow slightly, and Nakatani finally started landing longer, more confident shots. He found the left hand, forced Inoue to reset, and cut into the lead.

Round 10 was Nakatani’s strongest push. He came out aggressive, landed left hands, dug to the body, and backed Inoue toward the ropes. A clash of heads opened a cut near Nakatani’s right eye, but the doctor cleared him, and Nakatani kept pressing after the restart.

Round 11 was Inoue’s response. He landed a heavy right hand, got back behind the jab, and started targeting the damaged area around Nakatani’s eye. Nakatani fired back, but Inoue’s cleaner punches stopped the comeback from growing.

Round 12 closed the fight with Inoue sharp again. Nakatani needed something dramatic, but Inoue met him with combinations, uppercuts, and hooks instead of playing it safe. Nakatani kept trying to force a late swing, but Inoue finished in control.

Watch the late-fight highlights below:

The cards were close enough to show Nakatani’s late work, but Inoue’s early lead and championship-round answer held up. He did not get the kind of knockout fans saw in wins like his Ramon Cardenas stoppage or his Stephen Fulton demolition, but he beat an elite unbeaten opponent over 12 rounds on a massive stage.

Additional reaction and highlight posts:

For Nakatani, the loss ends the perfect record, not his standing near the top of Japanese boxing. He took rounds late, forced Inoue into real exchanges, and made the final stretch tense. For Inoue, this was another title-fight win, just in a different shape than usual.

Published on May 2, 2026 at 9:48 pm
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Jake Blend

Jake Blend
Jake Blend holds Bachelors in Journalism and has a passion for writing about mixed martial arts and any combat sports.

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