Boxing
Inoue vs. Cardenas: Near-identical weigh-in sets stage for explosive showdown
Watch Inoue vs Cardenas live on ESPN+ (US only)
Naoya Inoue and Ramon Cardenas weighed in nearly identically -121.9lbs to 121.8lbs - before stepping into the spotlight for Sunday's multi-belt firefight.
With titles, legacies, and bragging rights on the line, both fighters are poised to deliver a thrilling battle.
The undefeated Inoue, chasing further legacy as a four-division world champ, faces a hungry challenger who is just as dialed in.
At 29, Cardenas boasts a 26-1 record with 14 knockouts and now steps into the biggest fight of his career in pursuit of his first world title.
Despite little to call between their weights, Inoue is the overwhelming favorite to extend his record to 30-0 in his fourth defense of his undisputed super bantamweight title.
Fighting in the U.S. for the first time since he faced Michael Dasmarinas in June 2021, the man known as "The Monster" is keen to show American fans what he is capable of.
"The last two times I was here in Vegas, it was during the pandemic, and I had to train accordingly," said Inoue at the press conference. "But this time, I'm fighting at the T-Mobile, and that's going to be the biggest difference.
"I'm very motivated to fight in front of an American crowd in a big arena like this, but fighting on a Cinco de Mayo weekend, I feel like I'm fighting an away game. So I don't know what to expect."
Looking to defy the odds, Cardenas is determined to give it his all.
"More than anything, I know it's going to be a tough fight. I know Inoue is one of the pound-for-pound greats. But I'm ready for that. I'm ready for the toughest fight of my career.Â
"I've been saying it all camp. Everybody asks me the same. 'What do you picture?' I picture a hard fight, but I also picture myself coming out there and doing my thing and showing the world who I am."
DAZN News has full details on how and where to watch the fight, including the full fight card.
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