After Naoya Inoue was crowned the undisputed bantamweight champion of the world Tuesday, we put DAZN's Sergio Mora up to the task of naming five possible super fights for 'The Monster' in 2023. Here's what he came up with:
Inoue is a big star in Japan and arguably now the pound-for-pound No. 1 fighter in the world, so all these fights would have to take place there in order for them to be mega fights!
But all these fights are mega fights for 'The Monster'!
Stephen Fulton
Fulton is No. 1 at 122. He’s a bad boy. That guy is probably the best fighter at 122 so Inoue moving up in weight, having already become undisputed, makes sense for a fighter to take on the next challenge. The top dog at 122 is Fulton.
Gary Russell Jr.
Gary Russell Jr. is one of the longest-reigning champions. He’s only lost to the absolute best and that’s Lomachenko. (Russell was injured when he lost to Mark Magsayo).
He’s a southpaw. He has a high fight IQ and an Olympic background. So that explosive power and aggression (from Inoue) will be matched with the IQ and the speed and the defense of Russell.
MJ Ahkmadaliev
MJ Ahkmadaliev is a very strong, creative, experienced southpaw. He’s a unified champion and I think a harder puncher than Russell, but he brings the same fight IQ. And he brings that European style where I think he is more familiar with international styles.
Inoue is an explosive Japanese fighter and I think that Uzbek Olympic background of Ahkmadaliev. Unified champion vs. undisputed champion — it just makes sense and it will be an international attraction.
Juan Francisco Estrada
Estrada has two wins against a legend in ‘Chocolatito’ (Roman Gonzalez). There’s no one else to beat at 115 so it only makes sense for him to move up. But in moving up, there’s always going to be a danger of facing a stronger, bigger, more powerful fighter.
That’s why only great fighters are able to move up in weight and be successful. Estrada already did it at 112 and 115. If he really wants to be that all-time Mexican great, 118 is the next way to go. I just love the challenge.
Brandon Figueroa
Figueroa has only lost one time and that’s to the No. 1 guy on my list that I’d like to see Inoue with, and that’s Fulton. And that was a very entertaining, very close fight.
Brandon Figueroa is a popular American, a good looking kid, so that would be a very marketable fight for Inoue. With Inoue, a 'Monster', knocks out everybody in sight, a pound-for-pound talent versus 'The Heartbreaker', a kid with hooks and looks.