Both fighters needed only one try on the MGM Grand scales Saturday afternoon, as undisputed junior‑featherweight champion Naoya “Monster” Inoue came in at 121.9 lb and challenger Ramon Cardenas at 121.8 lb, sealing Sunday’s T‑Mobile Arena headliner on Cinco de Mayo weekend. The matchup sends Inoue back to U.S. soil for the first time since 2021 and offers San Antonio’s Cardenas - chosen in part for his Mexican‑American roots on the holiday bill - a shot at instant stardom.
Cardenas, 29, embraced the long‑shot role: “I’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain,” he told reporters. Inoue, meanwhile, spoke of little beyond improvement and legacy, reiterating that his “final target is featherweight.” Sportsbooks reflect the gap in pedigree: Inoue is a crushing ‑6000 favourite, with “Inoue by KO/TKO” priced around ‑900 and the under 5.5‑round prop sitting at even money - numbers rarely seen in a four‑belt title fight.
Watch Inoue vs. Cardenas weigh-in highligts: Watch
The Monster’s confidence is such that he has already described a September showdown with former unified champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev as “written in stone,” but Cardenas rides a 14‑fight win streak and insists that “from one day to the next, legends are born.” If he can survive early thunder, the south‑paw believes his high‑volume style can ask questions Inoue hasn’t heard since his bantamweight wars.
Sunday’s ESPN+ broadcast (coverage from 6:15 p.m. ET; main card 10 p.m.) is a full Top Rank showcase. Co‑feature sees rangy Mexican Rafael Espinoza (125.4 lb) defend the WBO featherweight belt against Fort Worth’s Edward Vazquez (125.6 lb), while unbeaten prospects Rohan Polanco, Emiliano Vargas and Mikito Nakano also made weight for their televised slots.
Image Credit: Top Rank