Philippines, 09 Jan 2026
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


Top Rank Presents Undisputed Super Bantamweight Championship: Naoya Inoue vs. Ye Joon Kim

PhilBoxing.com




Friday, January 24
Live & Exclusively on ESPN+ in the U.S.

Top Rank Presents Undisputed Super Bantamweight Championship:
Naoya Inoue vs. Ye Joon Kim

Friday, January 24

Live & Exclusively on ESPN+ in the U.S.

(Jan. 21, 2025)—Top Rank Boxing on ESPN: Inoue vs. Kim will stream live on Friday, Jan. 24, with a special early morning start time of 4:15 a.m. ET/ 1:15 a.m. PT exclusively on ESPN+ in the U.S. The event takes place at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

Pound-for-pound great Naoya Inoue will defend his undisputed super bantamweight crown against Korean challenger Ye Joon Kim.

Inoue (28-0, 25 KOs) seeks his 10th consecutive knockout while making an unprecedented third defense of his undisputed title.

The 31-year-old unified the bantamweight division in 2022 by stopping Paul Butler, then claimed undisputed status in a second weight class with knockout victories over Stephen Fulton and Marlon Tapales in 2023. In May, he made history by headlining the first boxing card at Tokyo Dome since 1990, rising from a first-round knockdown to stop former two-weight world champion Luis Nery in the sixth. Inoue followed up the Nery triumph with a seventh-round TKO of former champion TJ Doheny in September.

Kim (21-2-2, 13 KOs) turned pro in 2012 and has spent most of his career fighting in Korea. He is a former IBF Asia super bantamweight champion who has won two straight since a majority decision defeat to veteran Rob Diezel in Auburn, Washington. He is currently ranked No. 11 in the world by the WBO.

Before the main event, the 12-round welterweight co-feature showcases world-ranked welterweight contender Jin Sasaki (18-1-1, 17 KOs) against Shoki Sakai (29-14-3, 15 KOs) for the WBO Asia Pacific and OPBF belts.

Timothy Bradley Jr. and Bernardo Osuna will call the action.

• ESPN+: On Demand Shows, Archives & Premium Articles
• Top Rank: Real Time – All-access with top fighters throughout fight week as they work their way to fight night.
• "The Fight Life" chronicles a year in the world of Top Rank Boxing through the journeys of five of the sport’s elite boxers: • Tyson Fury, Naoya Inoue, Seniesa Estrada, Teofimo Lopez, and Josh Taylor.
• State of Boxing – Post-show coverage of the biggest fights on ESPN and ESPN+.
• Best of Boxing Spotlight – An archive of the all-time best Top Rank fights.

Follow @ESPNRingside: Facebook Instagram X (Twitter) TikTok




Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • Canoy banking on his ring experience against Kuse
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Thu, 08 Jan 2026
  • Undefeated Kansas Middleweight Prospect Marco “El Tiburon” Romero finished 2025 with 7th triumphs, all by knockout, & 11-0 record
    , Thu, 08 Jan 2026
  • Kinetix Sports aims for bigger events in 2026
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Thu, 08 Jan 2026
  • 2026 Santa Maria Town Fiesta Chess Challenge on January 26
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Thu, 08 Jan 2026
  • World Ranked Heavyweight Dainier Pero Headlines on Saturday, January 17th at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia
    , Wed, 07 Jan 2026
  • Jahyae Brown to Battle Arnold Gonzalez in Exciting Co-Feature on Thursday, January 15th at The War Memorial in Trenton, New Jersey
    , Wed, 07 Jan 2026
  • Hendri Cedeno Seeks Monumental Victory Against Alfredo Santiago for NABO Title January 10 at Barclays Center
    , Tue, 06 Jan 2026
  • Kingsley Ibeh learned from his Loss 5 years ago to Jared Anderson
    , Tue, 06 Jan 2026
  • Unified World Cruiserweight Champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez returning to Corpus Christi…as a promoter!
    , Tue, 06 Jan 2026
  • Ocum to fight Ballesteros on January 26
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Mon, 05 Jan 2026
  • SEA Plus Youth Games - Tolentino
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Mon, 05 Jan 2026
  • 87th Kalilangan Chess Festival Featuring Manny Pacquiao International Open to Push Through
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 05 Jan 2026
  • Deniega to fight Oka in Japan
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Fri, 02 Jan 2026
  • Illness forces Paddy Donovan to withdraw from IBF Welterweight World Eliminator January 16 versus Liam Paro in Australia
    , Fri, 02 Jan 2026
  • Canadian World Cruiserweight Contender Ryan Rozicki returning to ring March 7th
    , Thu, 01 Jan 2026
  • Lover Boy on hot streak
    By Joaquin Henson, , Wed, 31 Dec 2025
  • Silvano fights Gurung on January 13 in Hong Kong
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Wed, 31 Dec 2025
  • GM Laylo faces tough competition in Caloocan rapid chess
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Wed, 31 Dec 2025
  • GOLDEN BOY DELIVERS A LOADED UNDERCARD OF STAR PROSPECTS FOR ROCHA VS. CURIEL II
    , Wed, 31 Dec 2025
  • Arca wins silver in Eastern Asian Juniors Chess Championships 2025
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Wed, 31 Dec 2025
  • Donaire awaits WBA order
    By Joaquin Henson, , Tue, 30 Dec 2025
  • Anthony Joshua injured in car crash in Nigeria
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Tue, 30 Dec 2025
  • Sampson Boxing Signs Red Hot Middleweight Vito Mielnicki Jr to Exclusive Promotional Contract
    , Tue, 30 Dec 2025
  • Undefeated Carl Jammes Martin Plots Next Move as New Year Unfolds
    , Mon, 29 Dec 2025
  • Alvin Gayeta Roma leads Mansa Engineering Consultancy Team B to rule New York Chess Academy Team Tournament; pockets P100,000
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 29 Dec 2025




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2026 philboxing.com.