Naoya Inoue says he will only pursue a fight with Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez if the showdown can take place by February 2027.
Inoue strengthened his position at super bantamweight by defeating Junto Nakatani in May, while Rodriguez moved up to bantamweight and claimed the WBA title from Antonio Vargas.
Rodriguez and trainer Robert Garcia have since indicated that they want one more fight at 118lbs before moving up to challenge Inoue, with a unification against WBO champion Christian Medina being discussed for late 2026.
Inoue, however, has warned that he will not wait much longer.
“If I can do it around February, I will do it,” Inoue said. “If you go beyond that, I don’t have to be that obsessed with Bam.”
The four-division champion added that he is already considering a move to featherweight and will continue with his own plans if Rodriguez is not ready in time.
Image Credit: BBC