Undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue has become one of boxing’s must-watch stars. Inoue returns to the ring on Sunday to defend his four world titles against Ramon Cardenas. The fight will take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, marking Inoue’s first fight in the United States since 2021.
Inoue’s 2025 campaign got off to a somewhat disappointing start when a planned January fight with Sam Goodman fell apart after Goodman withdrew, leading to Inoue facing unheralded late-replacement opponent Ye Joon Kim. As expected, Inoue ran through Kim in less than four rounds, but it was not the level of challenge fans want to see Inoue face.
In Cardenas, Inoue is facing a more legitimate opponent than Kim, but one who has not fought anyone near Inoue’s level. Cardenas has emerged as a contender over the past few years, with wins over Rafael Pedroza, Israel Picazo, and most recently, Bryan Acosta.
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Inoue is again expected to blow through an opponent. He has 26 knockouts in 29 career fights, and the odds say he’ll kick up knockout 27 on Saturday (Inoue to win by knockout: -835).
The hope for many is that Inoue will roll through Cardenas before a September fight with WBA mandatory opponent Murodjon Akhmadaliev, likely in Saudi Arabia. A fight with Akhmadaliev is one many have wanted to see, as he may be the toughest challenge in the division for Inoue.
First things first, however, as Inoue has to not get caught off-guard by a massive underdog in Las Vegas.
The undercard on Sunday sees a trio of fights in the lower weight classes. Most notably, Rafael Espinoza looks to defend his WBO featherweight title when he takes on Edward Vazquez in the co-main event. Espinoza earned the title with a shocking win over Robeisy Ramirez in 2023 and followed it up with a TKO win over the former champ in the rematch last December. Elsewhere, Rohan Polanco and Fabian Maidana are set to meet in a welterweight contest. And Ra’eese Aleem takes on Rudy Garcia at featherweight.
Inoue vs. Cardenas fight card, odds
- Naoya Inoue (c) -10000 vs. Ramon Cardenas +1700, undisputed junior featherweight title
- Rafael Espinoza (c) -1430 vs. Edward Vazquez +800, WBO featherweight title
- Rohan Polanco -3335 vs. Fabian Maidana +1150, welterweights
- Ra’eese Aleem -3335 vs. Rudy Garcia +1200, featherweights
Where to watch Inoue vs. Cardenas
- Date: May 4 | Location: T-Mobile Arena — Las Vegas
- Start time: 10 p.m. ET
- Where to watch: ESPN/ESPN+
Prediction
Let’s be honest, Inoue is a -10000 favorite. There’s not much doubt who is going to get the win on Sunday. Cardenas winning would upend the boxing world. The real problem for Cardenas is that he is not a big puncher. Beating Inoue would almost certainly require catching him clean with a big shot because Inoue is such a good boxer beyond his elite punching power.
The question becomes how far Cardenas can make it in the fight. The odds say the fight won’t go the distance (-715) but Cardenas has only lost once and it was not by knockout. Despite that, it feels unlikely he can hold up to 12 rounds of Inoue’s explosive offense. Pick: Naoya Inoue via KO5