Junto Nakatani explains move to Naoya Inoue's weight class

It looked to be a matter of time before Junto Nakatani moved up to the junior featherweight division.

Did a probable super fight with undisputed champion and pound-for-pound great Naoya Inoue have something to do with that? Or did Nakatani start to feel the weight cuts becoming harder and harder with a move up in divisions?

Speaking at a press conference in Tokyo on Friday alongside Inoue to promote The Ring V: Night of the Samurai’ on Saturday, December 27, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - broadcast live on DAZN, the former 118-pound world champion revealed the latter reason to be the cause of his desire to jump up four pounds and face Sebastian Hernandez Reyes in his debut.

“I did pretty well at bantamweight, and my weight was becoming a little bit tight, so that’s the reason I moved up,” Nakatani said. “I’m looking forward to the next division.

“I’ve been practicing and aiming for fighting in the super-bantamweight division, and my power and speed has been improved, but I don’t want to overestimate my punch power, so I’d like to be modest and try to deliver a good fight."

If Inoue (31-0, 27 KOs) wins his fight against Alan Picasso and Nakatani takes care of business against Reyes, then one of the biggest global fights in boxing is likely to occur sometime in 2026. The 27-year-old Nakatani (31-0, 24 KOs) wasn't getting too far ahead of himself and was respectful of what Reyes brings to the table.

“[Reyes is] a very hard puncher, so I’m going to need high concentration during the match, but I’ve faced many undefeated fighters before, so I’ll stick to my style and, finally, win the battle," Nakatani said.

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