Inoue and Nakatani Arrive in Riyadh With Everything on the Line

Naoya Inoue and Alan Picasso faced off in Riyadh today, and both said what fighters say when they’re convincing themselves more than anyone else.

Inoue promised at the final press conference “This bout is going to be really important for my future – and how I fight it will be critical to becoming pound-for-pound No.1.” That’s not swagger; that’s self-talk. Inoue used to enter fights certain. That’s the vocabulary of someone chasing his own myth. Moving up in weight always costs something — reflex, tempo, composure under heat. Against someone as unbothered as Picasso, one lapse could shift the story.

Then came the classic line: “There is no chance my belts are going back with him to Mexico.” History laughs at statements like that. Belts go home with whoever doesn’t hesitate in the pocket. Picasso may not have Inoue’s pedigree, but he’s got something harder to buy — total delusion mixed with belief. Sometimes that’s the deadliest cocktail in boxing.

Picasso’s Defiance or Delusion

Picasso gave his own sermon: “It will not be the Night of the Samurai – it is going to be an Azteca night.” A statement like that cuts both ways. Shows pride, sure — but also pressure. He’s carrying a nation in his voice before he’s even stepped in. And you can hear the kid’s honesty when he adds: “I have run thousands of kilometres… I will not let my people down.” That’s Mexican heart. But heart doesn’t win exchanges against a man like Inoue, who turns hesitation into punishment.

Still, Picasso can disrupt rhythm with output alone. If he survives early body assaults and makes Inoue’s feet work overtime, the Japanese ace might start to look mortal for the first time since the Fulton fight.

Nakatani’s Quiet Gamble

Then there’s Junto Nakatani, sliding up to Super Bantamweight with almost no noise. He said, “I have been preparing 100 per cent, so you will see the best of me.” That’s the polite code for stepping into the unknown. At 118 and 122, he looked dominant — long arms, short temper, calm killer energy. At 126, physics starts to talk back. Sebastian Hernandez knows it too. His simple reply — “I have prepared my best, so I will give my absolute best in this fight too.” — sounds humble, but there’s intent in it. He’s hoping Nakatani doesn’t carry his power up.

Nakatani’s timing is sleek, but sometimes he needs a few rounds to dial in that distance. Hernandez will try to make it messy before he finds it. If Nakatani gets clipped early, it could turn ugly fast. Another thread of risk hidden beneath a polished card.

Saudi backers call it “Night of the Samurai,” but Saturday’s card looks more like Night of Evaluation. Every Japanese fighter here walks a knife edge — expectations high, vulnerabilities real. Inoue could lose aura. Nakatani could lose momentum. Picasso and Hernandez? They came to steal opportunity.

Date: Saturday, December 27, 2025
Start time: 6 PM ET / 11 PM UK
Streaming platform: Live on DAZN
Venue: Mohammed Abdu Arena, Boulevard City, Riyadh

Fight Card

Reito Tsutsumi vs Leobardo Quintana 
8 x 3-minute rounds Super Featherweight Contest

Taiga Imanaga vs Eridson Garcia
10 x 3-minute rounds Lightweight Contest

Willibaldo Garcia vs Kenshiro Teraji
12 x 3-minute rounds IBF World Super Flyweight Championship

Junto Nakatani vs Sebastian Hernandez
12 x 3-minute rounds Super Bantamweight Contest

Naoya Inoue vs Alan Picasso
12 x 3-minute rounds The Ring, IBF, WBC, WBO, WBA World Super Bantamweight Title