Naoya Inoue’s defense of his undisputed junior featherweight championship against Murodjon “MJ” Akhmadaliev will reach fans directly through Facebook. Top Rank announced Thursday that the bout, set for Sunday at IG Arena in Nagoya, Japan, will be streamed live and exclusively in the US and UK on the company’s official Facebook channel.
The broadcast begins at 4 a.m. ET, with Inoue and Akhmadaliev expected to make their ring walks around 6:40 a.m. ET. Inoue is making the fifth defense of his undisputed crown and enters off an eighth-round stoppage of Ramon Cardenas in May. Akhmadaliev, a former unified champion now based in Indio, California, has strung together three consecutive knockout victories since a split-decision loss to Marlon Tapales.
Watch the official press conference highlights: Watch
Inoue, who unified the division by stopping Tapales in 2023, now seeks to extend his remarkable run of 26 straight world title fights. For Akhmadaliev, this is a chance to reclaim elite standing in the division and hand Inoue his first professional defeat.
The undercard will feature two additional title bouts. Bantamweight champion Yoshiki Takei makes his third defense against Mexico’s Christian Medina. Meanwhile, Yuni Takada meets undefeated southpaw Ryusei Matsumoto for a vacant “regular” minimumweight title.
Read more about Inoue-Akhmadaliev here.
Image Credit: WBC