Naoki Inoue just proved again why he’s the man at bantamweight. At Super RIZIN 4, the reigning RIZIN champion fought through early heat from Ryuya Fukuda and walked out of Saitama with his belt — and his claim as Japan’s best intact.
Fukuda came hard early, throwing volume and trying to drag Inoue into chaos. But the champ stayed calm. His jab, footwork, and clinch work chipped away until the momentum shifted. By the end, the judges all saw it the same: a unanimous decision for Inoue, another notch on his RIZIN title reign.
This was Inoue’s second title defense, following sharp wins over Soo Chul Kim and Yuki Motoya. Fukuda wasn’t an easy challenger either — the DEEP champ entered on a tear, finishing Masayuki Watanabe, Erson Yamamoto, and Ryusei Ashizawa. Inoue just handled it — clean shots, slick scrambles, and composure under fire.
Afterward, Inoue made his intentions clear. “My dream fight would be the current UFC bantamweight champion,” he said. “Right now that’s Merab Dvalishvili — I trained with him. I’m not calling him out, but my goal is the same: fight the best, wherever they are.”
It’s a reminder that Inoue’s career has been winding but steady. He fought in the UFC back in 2018, beating Carls John de Tomas before dropping a close one to Matt Schnell. Now he’s evolved into one of Japan’s sharpest technicians — and after this win, UFC talk is back on the table.
He’s even open to other big fights. “I’d love to fight Sergio Pettis — he fought in RIZIN once, that would be great,” Inoue said. And while names like Kleber Koike and Roberto Satoshi are RIZIN staples, Inoue frames his mission differently: “I want to fight the toughest guys for me. If that also proves RIZIN is the best, that’s a bonus.”
Now 10-2 in RIZIN, the 28-year-old bantamweight champ isn’t slowing down. Whether the future holds a UFC run or more defenses in Japan, Naoki Inoue is clearly in his prime — and he’s making sure everyone sees it.
