Naoya Inoue is looking to add another huge accolade to his already esteemed career when he attempts to become the undisputed champion at super bantamweight when he faces Marlon Tapales in Japan.
Inoue already has the WBC and WBO belts after stopping Stephen Fulton Jr., and now he has WBA and IBF super bantamweight champion Tapales in his sights.
Will Inoue become a two-weight undisputed champion? Or can Tapales beat one of boxing's biggest stars?
Here's everything you need to know ahead of Inoue vs. Tapales.
Inoue vs. Tapales fight date, start time
- Date: Tuesday, December 26
- Time: 10 a.m. UK / 5 a.m. ET
- Main event ringwalks (approx): 12 p.m. UK / 7 a.m. ET
The broadcast is set to begin at 10 a.m. UK / 5 a.m. ET with the main event ringwalks scheduled for 12 p.m. UK / 7 a.m. ET, these timings could change due to the length of the undercard fights.
What channel/stream is Inoue vs. Tapales?
- U.S.: ESPN+
- UK: Sky Sports
Fans in the U.S. will be able to watch the fight on ESPN+ (click here for more information), while Sky Sports will broadcast the fight in the UK.
Where is the Inoue vs. Tapales fight?
The fight will take place at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.
Naoya Inoue record and bio
- Nationality: Japanese
- Date of birth: April 10, 1993
- Height: 5' 5"
- Reach: 67.5"
- Total fights: 25
- Record: 25-0 (22 KOs)
Marlon Tapales record and bio
- Nationality: Filipino
- Date of birth: March 23, 1992
- Height: 5' 4"
- Reach: 65"
- Total fights: 40
- Record: 37-3 (19 KOs)
Inoue vs. Tapales fight card
- Naoya Inoue vs. Marlon Tapales; For the WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF world super bantamweight titles
- Seiya Tsutsumi vs. Kazuki Anaguchi; Bantamweight
- Kanamu Sakama vs. John Paul Gabunilas; Flyweight
- Yoshiki Takei vs. Mario Diaz Maldonado; Super bantamweight
- Andy Hiraoka vs. Sebastian Diaz Maldonado; Super lightweight
- Suguru Ishikawa vs. Fuga Uematsu; Featherweight
- Rikiya Sato vs. Keisuke Endo; Super featherweight