Naoya Inoue defeated Junto Nakatani in one of the biggest boxing events in Japanese history Saturday.
Inoue beat Nakatani by unanimous decision, with the judges scoring the bout 116-112, 115-113, and 116-112 in favor of the undisputed junior featherweight champion.
The undefeated champion appeared to win most of the early rounds as both fighters got off to a slow start while feeling each other out.
Nakatani found some rhythm and had Inoue on his back foot in the middle part of the fight before a 10th-round headbutt caused a cut to the challenger. From there, Inoue dominated the final rounds en route to another title defense.
Inoue's victory over the previously undefeated Nakatani pushed his professional record to 33-0.
Inoue wouldn't disclose who he would fight next, requesting some time off after a hectic schedule that's included five fights since the beginning of 2025.
"Please give me some rest," the 33-year-old told 55,000 fans at the Tokyo Dome.
A potential superfight between Inoue and Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez at 122 pounds is something both sides have expressed interest in.