Naoya Inoue rival takes aim at 'The Monster' before eliminator bout

Bryan Mercado expects Naoya Inoue to defeat Junto Nakatani, as the Mexican takes aim at the winner before his bout with Ryosuke Nishida.

The pair meet in an IBF super-bantamweight eliminator this weekend, with the winner in line to get a potential shot against 'The Monster'.

Mercado faces a tough test against Nishida, who has his own designs on Nakatani after losing his IBF bantamweight crown to him last year.

But the star intends to leave Osaka's Sumiyoshi SportsCenter with another win under his belt, tipping Inoue to get the job done after him too.

The Ring

"Naoya is going to beat Nakatani, I have no doubt," Mercado told The Ring. "I'm motivated [to win here too]. It will be a great fight on Sunday.

"[Nishida] is a very good fighter. He was a world champion for a reason. He's fast and I have to be careful. I'm inspired to deliver a memorable fight.

"I'd like to take the opportunity [against Inoue], prepare for a championship fight knowing I'm away from home, but wherever we must fight, we'll fight."

Mercado's latest bout marks his first beyond his native Mexico, and he admits he is thrilled to make the trip across the Pacific Ocean for this contest.

"This is the experience I was looking for, going to Japan for an important fight," he added. "It's the dream that I've fought for so many years [to achieve]."

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