Last Updated: March 06, 2023, 14:25 IST
Japan’s Naoya Inoue will battle for two world titles in his super-bantamweight debut when he takes on American Stephen Fulton in Yokohama in May, the boxer nicknamed “Monster” said Monday.
The unbeaten Inoue became the first undisputed world bantamweight champion in half a century when he beat England’s Paul Butler in December to add the WBO title to his WBC, WBA and IBF belts.
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The 29-year-old, who has a 24-0 record with 21 knock-outs, vacated his titles in January to move up to the super-bantamweight division.
He intends to make an instant impact against WBC and WBO title-holder Fulton, who is unbeaten in 21 fights with eight knock-outs.
“All I can do is believe in myself,” Inoue advised reporters at a press convention in Tokyo.
“When I’ve gone up a weight class prior to now I’ve carried out very effectively in my first battle, so that may be a large motivation for me.”
Inoue, who has won world titles in three different weight divisions, knocked out Butler in December to become the first undisputed bantamweight world champion since Panama’s Enrique Pinder in 1972.
The 28-year-old Fulton is one of two world champions in the super-bantamweight division — Uzbekistan’s Murodjon Akhmadaliev holds the WBA and IBF belts.
Fulton’s last fight was a unanimous points decision win over Daniel Roman in June last year.
He called Inoue “a great fighter” in a recorded video message however insisted he had “no considerations in any respect” about facing him in Japan.
“I like to challenge myself, I like the excitement, so why not take that type of opponent?” stated Fulton.
“I really feel like I’ve the type to beat anybody — I can modify and do no matter to beat anyone.”
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(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is printed from a syndicated information company feed)
