Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford to Share Ring in Japan Co-Main Event

Japanese boxing sensation Naoya Inoue is scheduled to compete for the third time in 2025, defending his undisputed super bantamweight title against former unified champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev on September 14. The event will be held at the Aichi International Arena (Nagoya IG Arena), according to reports from Japanese media outlets on Thursday.

The highly anticipated contest will follow a major co-main event where Canelo Alvarez defends his super middleweight title against Terence Crawford, creating a significant boxing spectacle in Japan.

Inoue returns to the ring after a commanding eighth-round stoppage of Ramon Cardenas in May and a knockout win over Kim Ye-Joon in January. The undefeated champion continues to solidify his reputation as one of boxing’s best pound-for-pound fighters.

Akhmadaliev, his opponent, comes into the fight on a three-fight knockout streak, which includes a recent victory over Luis Castillo. The Uzbek boxer aims to regain his status as a world champion after a controversial split-decision defeat to Marlon Tapales in 2023.

This marks Inoue’s fourth fight this year, a notably busy schedule for an undisputed champion.

Should Inoue successfully defend his titles and rising Mexican contender David Picasso triumphs over Kyonosuke Kameda on July 19, a potential super-fight between Inoue and Picasso is reportedly being considered for December 27 in Saudi Arabia.

Inoue confirmed the information on his X account (formerly Twitter), providing fight specifics and stating his resolve.

“It has been decided that Naoya Inoue will defend his four-organisation title against Murodjon Akhmadaliev at Nagoya IG Arena (Aichi International Arena),” he posted.

“He will face the toughest opponent of his career, but at times like these, Naoya Inoue will put on a fight that will show how strong he really is.

He will continue to train hard for the remaining two months and deliver the best results for sure!!!”

In the co-feature of the event, WBO bantamweight champion Yoshiki Takei will defend his 118-pound title against challenger Christian Medina.