Undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue overcame a rare knockdown to stop Ramon Cardenas in the eighth round Sunday night at T-Mobile Arena. Inoue defended his unified titles with the technical knockout at 45 seconds into the round.
Naoya Inoue (30-0, 27 KOs), known as "The Monster," was tested early by Ramon Cardenas (26-2). In the second round, Cardenas landed a counter left hook that sent Inoue to the canvas for the second time in his career.
Inoue regained his composure after the knockdown. He adjusted his approach, relying on his jab to control distance and initiating a sustained attack to the body of Cardenas.
Despite the setback, Cardenas fought with heart and continued to exchange punches. Both fighters landed shots that drew reactions from the crowd.
The turning point came at the end of the seventh round when Inoue scored a knockdown of his own with a series of right hands. Inoue pressed his advantage at the start of the eighth, unleashing combinations that forced the referee to stop the fight.
According to punch statistics, Inoue landed 108 power punches during the bout.
Speaking after the fight, Inoue acknowledged the unexpected knockdown. "I was very surprised," Inoue said through a translator, "but I took things calmly and put myself together." He added, "From then on, I made sure to not take that punch again."
Cardenas also commented on the fight. "The fight was a tough fight," Cardenas said. "He's pound for pound, one of the greatest fighters on the planet and I just wanted to give the fans a fan fight."
The Inoue Vs Cardenas bout capped a boxing weekend that saw other prominent fighters deliver performances that did not resonate as strongly with some observers. Inoue's victory provided a high-action conclusion.
This marked Inoue's return to the fought in the United States for the first time since 2021. He will next prepare for a scheduled title defense against Murodjon Akhmadaliev in September.
