Junto Nakatani outpoints gutsy Sebastian Hernandez on super-bantamweight debut to keep Naoya Inoue dream alive

Junto Nakatani kept the Naoya Inoue mega-fight dream alive on his super-bantamweight debut in Riyadh but was forced to work for victory against a gutsy Sebastian Hernandez.

The Japanese star, a three-weight world champion, stepped up a division at The Ring V: Night of the Samurai as he pursues a blockbuster bout against his countryman in 2026.

With both men in action on the same fight card, 'Big Bang' kept up his end of the bargain against the previously unbeaten Mexican to help tee up a domestic dust-up next year.

But he was pushed all the way in a surprisingly wide 115-113, 115-113 and 118-110 unanimous decision by Hernandez, who surely won a new legion of fans with his performance.

A relatively sedate first round allowed Nakatani to settle his footwork in relative comfort, before slowly picking up his output across the second with a mix of jabs and uppercuts.

Hernandez found a little more purchase in response throughout the third, drawing his rival up close for a toe-to-toe scrap, with both picking their shots with pace in the fourth.

Increased speed over the fifth saw Nakatani further work the head of his opponent, even as he weathered body blows before a back-and-forth sixth that saw him up the ante.

Yet Hernandez showcased his own deep tank, further drawing the pair closer across a taut seventh as his chin and volume began to bear down on his rival over the eighth round.

For the first time in two years, Nakatani found himself drawn into the championship rounds, responding with sensational volleys in the ninth that the Mexican replied with in kind.

A swollen eye sustained in the tenth by Hernandez failed to slow his own relentless, duly returning the favour in the eleventh to impair the Japanese fighter's right socket too.

That seemed to force Nakatani on the defensive for the final round, with his foe pushing to stagger him late on - but ultimately, his success keeps his hopes alive for another day.

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