Nakatani vs. Nishida

Junto Nakatani vs. Ryosuke Nishida:
Nakatani wins by TKO in round 6.

Tenshin Nasukawa vs. Victor Santillan:
Nasukawa wins by UD.

Tomoya Tsuboi vs. Tran Van Thao:
Tsuboi wins by UD.

Riku Masuda vs. Michell Banquez:
Masuda wins by KO in round 1.

Riku Miyashita vs. Toya Oshima:
Miyashita wins by UD.

Rukia Okubo vs. Takumi Yoneya:
Okubo wins by TKO in round 3.

Japan’s bantamweight boom reaches boiling point on Sunday, 8 June, when unbeaten southpaws Junto Nakatani and Ryosuke Nishida clash for the WBC and IBF belts at Tokyo’s 12,000‑seat Ariake Arena. The all‑Japanese unification tops a tripleheader that streams live on ESPN+ for U.S. viewers and airs domestically on TV Tokyo.

Nakatani (30‑0, 23 KOs) already owns world titles from flyweight up through bantamweight and cemented his pound‑for‑pound status with a trio of 2024 knockouts, culminating in a three‑round blitz of Mexico’s David Cuellar in February. The 26‑year‑old “Big Bang” also produced 2023’s Knockout of the Year against Andrew Moloney.

Watch Nakatani;s top combos: Watch

Nishida (10‑0, 2 KOs) needed just nine fights to dethrone two‑time champion Emmanuel Rodriguez last May, then showcased newfound spite by stopping Thailand’s Anuchai Donsua in his first defense. The slick Kansai stylist - an amateur star who once held four straight All‑Japan titles - knows a victory over Nakatani would vault him from rising prospect to national icon overnight.

Beyond bragging rights, Sunday’s winner will be halfway to undisputed status at 118 lbs, a division left wide open when Inoue vacated in 2023. Both men fight from the southpaw stance, but the contrasts are stark: Nakatani’s rangy seek‑and‑destroy pressure against Nishida’s angles and counter‑rights inside the pocket. Japanese media have dubbed it a “Giant vs Ghost” matchup for the mantle of Asia’s best active bantamweight.

Watch Nakatani's training camp: Watch

The undercard doubles as a showcase of Japan’s next wave. Former kick‑boxing wunderkind Tenshin Nasukawa (6‑0, 2 KOs) steps up against Dominican spoiler Victor Santillan (14‑1, 5 KOs) over ten rounds, while 2021 amateur world champion Tomoya Tsuboi (1‑0, 1 KO) faces Vietnam’s hard‑hitting Van Thao Tran (18‑1, 10 KOs) for the vacant WBO Asia Pacific strap. Expect fireworks before dawn.

Fight card:

▪️Junto Nakatani vs. Ryosuke Nishida, 12 rounds, for the IBF and WBC World bantamweight titles
▪️Tenshin Nasukawa vs. Victor Santillan, 10 rounds, bantamweight
▪️Van Thao Tran vs. Tomoya Tsuboi, 10 rounds, for the vacant WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight title
▪️Riku Masuda vs. Michell Banquez, 10 rounds, bantamweight
▪️Riku Miyashita vs. Toya Oshima, 4 rounds, super flyweight
▪️Rukia Okubo vs. Takumi Yoneya, 4 rounds, minimumweight

Watch Nakatani vs. Nishida weigh-in here: Watch