Jorge Linares Picks Junto Nakatani to Beat Naoya Inoue

Former champion backs southpaw approach and counters, calling undisputed title fight “50-50” in Tokyo

Jorge Linares has picked Junto Nakatani to beat Naoya Inoue ahead of their undisputed title fight this Saturday in Tokyo. The former world champion points to Nakatani’s southpaw jab and counter punching as the factors that could break Inoue’s run.

Inoue defends his undisputed super-bantamweight titles against Nakatani this Saturday, live on DAZN, at the Tokyo Dome in a fight that has drawn major attention in Japan.

The bout is set to headline a sold-out crowd of around 55,000, with both fighters entering unbeaten and ranked among the sport’s top names. Inoue will put all four major belts on the line at 122 pounds, while Nakatani makes his second appearance in the division as he looks to become a four-weight world champion.

Nakatani is viewed as a serious test, bringing height, reach, and power into the fight against an opponent who has largely controlled the division. The matchup has been discussed as one of the biggest in the country’s boxing history.

Former three-weight world champion Jorge Linares shared his view on ESPN, pointing to technical factors that could influence the outcome.

“Something specific for Nakatani to do should be using his lead jab and left-handed counterpunches a lot more. Nakatani is a southpaw, and Inoue doesn’t really like fighting left-handers. Inoue doesn’t throw that many punches, but the ones he does throw are very powerful. And his timing is impeccable. It’s impressive, precise, especially the counterattack.”

Linares said the fight is difficult to call and expects a close result, but ultimately picked Nakatani to win.

“This is a tough fight to predict. Honestly, it’s 50-50, and the first time I’ve seriously questioned whether Inoue could lose. I think it’s going to be very close. I’ll go with Nakatani.”

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