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A battle to determine an undisputed bantamweight champion takes place on December 13. Naoya Inoue (23-0), the WBA, WBC, IBF, and The Ring champion, takes on WBO champion Paul Butler (34-2) for all the gold.
The fight takes place inside Ariake Arena in Japan.
The main event is expected to be historic. There are also other fighters on the card worth looking at. From Inoue’s brother to current champions, there is something for everyone.
The Sporting News looks into the entire undercard of Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler.
MORE: Sign up to watch Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler, exclusively on ESPN+
Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler undercard
Yoshiki Takei vs. Bruno Tarimo
Yoshiki Takei defends the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation super-bantamweight title against Bruno Tarimo. Takei (5-0) is a former kickboxer who has won the K-1 super-bantamweight (55 kg) and 2016 Krush bantamweight (55 kg) titles. Following a career in which he had over 20 wins, Takei made his pro boxing debut in 2021.
In August, he beat Pete Apolinar for the OPBF title. Takei has won all five of his boxing fights via TKO.
Tarimo (26-3-2) made his pro debut in 2013. Primarily fighting in Tanzania, Tarimo has won the WBA Oceania and IBF Pan Pacific super-featherweight titles. The 27-year-old is 1-1-1 in his last three fights, his last bout a loss against Zelfa Barrett in December 2021.
Andy Niraoka vs. Min Ho Jun
Andy Hiraoka faces Min Ho Jun for the former’s WBO Asia Pacific super-lightweight title. Hiraoka (21-0) made his pro debut in 2013. Primarily fighting out of Korakuen Hall in Japan to start his career, Hiraoka won the JBC and WBO Asia Pacific super-lightweight titles in 2021 against Jin Sasaki. Hiraoka’s last fight was a TKO win against Alvin Lagumbay in September, his seventh win in a row via TKO.
Jun (13-3-2) made his pro debut in 2016. After going 2-2-1 in 2019, he has won three in a row. Jun’s last fight was a TKO win against Poramin Saengpak in June.
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Satoshi Shimizu vs. Landy Cris Leon
Satoshi Shimizu defends the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation featherweight title against Landy Cris Leon. A bronze medalist in the 2012 Olympics, Shimizu (10-1) made his pro debut in 2016. In 2017 he beat Sa Myung Noh for the OPBF featherweight title. After losing to Joe Noynay in 2019, Shimizu has won two in a row. His last fight was a unanimous decision win over Musashi Mori in May.
Leon (14-22-5) made his pro debut in 2010. “Cinderella Man” is 3-4-1 in his last eight fights. After losing two in a row, Leon won his last fight in July 2021 against Jhunriel Ramonal.
Our own @Tom_Gray_Boxing sat down with @1PaulButler to chat about his upcoming bout with Naoya Inoue, the first time Butler has fought outside the UK as a pro 🔥 pic.twitter.com/wvQ8B2eNEj
— Sporting News Boxing (@sn_fights) December 7, 2022
Takuma Inoue vs. Jake Bornea
Takuma Inoue takes on Jake Bornea. Takuma (16-1) is the brother of Naoya Inoue. Making his pro debut in 2013, Takuma has held the OPBF super-flyweight and interim WBC bantamweight title. Losing to Nordine Oubaali for the WBC bantamweight title in 2019, Takuma has since won three in a row. His last fight was a unanimous decision win over Gakuya Furuhashi in June.
Bornea (14-3-1) made his pro debut in 2013. In 2014 he won the WBF flyweight title against Michael Enriquez. Bornea is 2-1-1 in his last four fights, his last bout a draw against Nicardo Calamba in 2021.
Hironori Miyake vs. Peter McGrail
Hironori Miyake faces Peter McGrail. Miyake (9-12-2) made his pro debut in 2013. He is on a six-fight losing streak, his last bout a unanimous decision loss against Tomoya Kishine in December 2021. McGrail (5-0) made his pro debut in 2021. His last bout was a retirement win against Alexander Espinoza in 2022.
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When is Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler?
- Date: Tuesday, December 13
- Start time: 5 a.m. ET | 10 a.m. GMT | 9 p.m. AEDT | 7p.m. JST
- Main event: 7:30 a.m. ET | 12:30 p.m. GMT | 11:30 p.m. AEDT | 9:30 p.m. JST (approx.)
Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler takes place on December 13. The main card starts at 5 a.m. ET | 10 a.m. GMT | 9 p.m. AEDT | 7p.m. JST. Inoue and Butler should make their way to the ring around 7:30 a.m. ET | 12:30 p.m. GMT | 11:30 p.m. AEDT | 9:30 p.m. JST, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
How to watch Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler
Country | Date | Channel + Live Stream (main card) |
United States | Sat. Dec 13 | ESPN+ |
Japan | Sat. Dec 13 | dTV, Hikari TV |
United Kingdom | Sun. Dec 13 | TBA |
Australia | Sun. Dec 13 | Kayo |
In the United States, Inoue vs. Butler is available on ESPN+. In Japan, it is available via dTV and Hikari TV.
In Australia, you can watch the fight via Kayo.
MORE: Sign up to watch Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler, exclusively on ESPN+
Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler price: How much will the fight cost?
You can pay $9.99 for a monthly subscription to ESPN+ or buy an annual subscription for $99.99.
Product | Prices |
---|---|
ESPN+ Monthly Subscription | $9.99/month |
ESPN+ Annual Subscription | $99.99/year |
The Disney Bundle w/Hulu Ad-Supported | $13.99/month |
The Disney Bundle w/Hulu No-Ads |
$19.99/month |