Junto Nakatani will put his perfect 30-0 record on the line when he faces fellow undefeated fighter Ryosuke Nishida in a highly anticipated bantamweight unification bout on June 8 in Tokyo, Japan. The clash will bring together Nakatani's WBC title and Nishida's IBF belt in what promises to be a significant showdown for the division.
Nakatani, who captured the WBC bantamweight title in 2024 and has already defended it three times, brings considerable power to the ring with 23 of his victories coming by knockout. The champion has long sought this opportunity to add more hardware to his collection.
"I always wanted a unification fight and knew that once I could defeat Cuellar, I could pursue it. That win made it easier for me," Nakatani explained. "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."
On the other side of the ring, Nishida presents an interesting challenge with his perfect 10-0 record. Despite having significantly fewer professional bouts than his opponent, Nishida claimed the IBF bantamweight title in 2024 by defeating Emmanuel Rodriguez. This will be just his second title defense. Worth noting, Nishida has only two knockout victories, suggesting a potential stylistic clash against the power-punching Nakatani.
The event, taking place at Ariake Coliseum, will also feature several compelling undercard bouts. Tenshin Nasukawa, the former kickboxing champion who famously faced Floyd Mayweather in a 2018 exhibition, continues his professional boxing career against Victor Santillan. Nasukawa is coming off an impressive victory over former world champion Jason Moloney in February.
Additionally, Olympic gold medalist Tomoya Tsuboi will make just his second professional appearance against the experienced Van Thao Tran, while knockout artist Riku Masuda puts his four-fight winning streak on the line against Michell Banquez.
For boxing fans in the United States, the card begins at an early 4:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, with the main event expected around 7:30 a.m. ET. Can Nakatani continue his dominance, or will Nishida pull off what many would consider an upset? The bantamweight division's landscape could look quite different after June 8.
