Undefeated Japanese knockout artist, Naoya “The Monster” Inoue will put his WBA and IBF belts on the line against Thai challenger Aran Dipaen on December 14, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.
Naoya Inoue (21-0, 18 KOs) is widely regarded as one of the hardest hitters pound for pound in boxing, with the majority of his wins coming by way of devastating KO, he is also Japanese most popular boxer.
He wants to land the big fights and unify all the belts at bantamweight and that was the reason he signed a multi-fight contract in 2019 with legendary hall of fame promoter Bob Arum and Top Rank.
The 28-year-old unified bantamweight champion is ready to fight and eager to display his power once more when he takes on Aran Dipaen (12-2, 11 KOs) of Thailand.
Dipaen also packs a punch but on paper he is outmatched. In boxing anything can happen and this could go his way if he shocks the world but The Monster from Japan doesn’t overlook any opponent and he will be sure to capitalize on anything the Thai opponent throws his way.
This will be a great opportunity for Inoue to put on a show for the Japanese people before he chases a unification bout to try to become undisputed.
The co-main event will feature Wilfredo “Bimbito” Mendez versus Masataka Taniguchi in a WBO minimumweight championship.
Mendez (16-1, 6 KOs) is a southpaw from Puerto Rico and he has held the WBO minimumweight title since 2019, he isn’t a known puncher but he wins his fights by out boxing his opponent and moving away from the return fire.
His opponent Masataka Taniguchi (14-3, 9 KOs) is a Japanese southpaw who also challenged for the WBO title but lost, this will be his second chance at a world title and he will have the support of his countrymen heading into the title bout.
Fight Card
Bantamweight Championship – Naoya Inoue vs Aran Dipaen (WBA/IBF Titles)
Minimumweight Championship – Wilfredo Mendez vs Masataka Taniguchi (WBO Title)
Super Bantamweight – Yoshiki Takei vs Kazuhiro Imamura
Super Featherweight – Keisuke Matsumoto vs Takahiro Araki
Super Bantamweight – Toshiya Ishii vs Takuya Fujioka
Flyweight – Sho Nagasato vs Yuki Kajitani
Featherweight – Tail Kamidaki vs Haruki Takai
Venue: Kokugikan Arena, Tokyo, Japan
Date and Time: Tuesday, December 14, 2021 at 7:00 AM EST/4:00 AM PST
TV/Live Stream: ESPN+
