Junto Nakatani will put his perfect record on the line when he faces fellow undefeated champion Ryosuke Nishida in a highly anticipated bantamweight title unification bout on June 8 in Tokyo, Japan. The clash brings together the WBC and IBF champions in what promises to be a showcase of Japan's bantamweight talent.
"I always wanted a unification fight and knew that once I could defeat Cuellar, I could pursue it," Nakatani explained through the WBC. "I'm very grateful and motivated by this unification. This opportunity is in front of me now, and it's up to me to make the most of it."
The 30-0 Nakatani, who captured the WBC bantamweight title in 2024, brings serious knockout power to the ring with 23 of his wins coming via stoppage. The multi-division world champion has already defended his current title three times.
Interestingly, Nishida presents a different style challenge. Despite his perfect 10-0 record, the IBF champion has secured only two knockout victories, suggesting a more technical approach to his craft. The 28-year-old claimed his world title against Emmanuel Rodriguez in 2024 and now seeks his second successful defense.
The event at Ariake Coliseum features a solid undercard as well. Former kickboxing sensation Tenshin Nasukawa continues his boxing journey against Victor Santillan. Nasukawa, perhaps best known to casual fans for his 2018 exhibition defeat against Floyd Mayweather, has been impressive since committing to boxing full-time, recently defeating former world champion Jason Moloney.
Rounding out the card, Olympic gold medalist Tomoya Tsuboi takes on Vietnam's first boxing gold medalist Van Thao Tran, while knockout artist Riku Masuda faces veteran Michell Banquez in another bantamweight contest.
For Nakatani, a victory could potentially set up an even bigger showdown with Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue down the line. But can he overcome the undefeated Nishida first?
