Naoya Inoue edges gripping encounter with Junto Nakatani to retain undisputed super-bantamweight title

'The Monster' reaffirmed his status as one of the sport's leading pound-for-pound superstars in a major all-Japanese clash held beneath the roof of the iconic stadium.

Both Inoue and Nakatani, among the sport's finest operators to ever emerge from Asia, promised fans they would deliver on the expectations of a domestic blockbuster.

So too they proved, as the incumbent champion edged the previously undefeated 'Big Bang' in a 116-112, 116-112 and 115-113 chess match that exploded in the back half.

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 Intriguing styles make for classic between Benavidez and Zurdo

Watch: Tactical breakdown of both fighters

Benavidez vs. Zurdo watch on DAZN PPV or Ultimate Tier - Buy here

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Nakatani can take great heart from his move to super-bantamweight, having only fought once at this level before tackling his rival in pursuit of his biggest scalp to date.

But he will be left to wonder if he could have done more, after a tenth-round cut derailed some late-breaking momentum and put Inoue back in the box seat for their bout.

With appetites whetted by a terrific undercard and a pair of suitably bombastic ringwalks, both men got down to business from the first bell with a busy first round.

Nakatani sought to draw out Inoue with his guard and jab, while the champion responded with a steady stream of shots aimed at his foe's midriff over the second.

With pace building nicely in the third round, 'The Monster' appeared to find a little more purchase, yet 'Big Bang' worked his southpaw left nicely to respond in turn.

Some looping exchanges in the fourth saw Inoue work the body while Nakatani snapped a few lunges out, before a back-and-forth fifth exchanged some deft shots.

Further work from the title holder in the sixth and seventh however started to settle his rhythm more though, leaving his opponent with a bloody trickle from his nose.

Nakatani responded with a more aggressive stance, upping the volume with a slew of superb efforts as the fight exploded into life across the eighth and ninth rounds.

'Big Bang' saw his momentum checked by that tough head cut pver the left eye in the tenth though, and Inoue managed to wrestle the pendulum back in the eleventh.

From there, 'The Monster' was able to work the ring to his advantage across the final three minutes - and a wry smile as he embraced Nakatani told the story in the end.

Benavidez vs. Zurdo on DAZN PPV

Watch David Benavidez versus Gilberto 'Zurdo' Ramirez on DAZN PPV this Saturday, May 2. Buy as a one-off PPV or get it included with the DAZN Ultimate Tier subscription, which also includes the Wardley vs. Dubois (May 9), Usyk vs. Verhoeven (May 23), Fury vs. Hall (June 13) and Zayas vs. Ennis (June 27) PPVs without any extra one-off costs.

For pricing, more information, and to sign up to watch, click here