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Stephen Fulton Jr, Naoya Inoue to face off in Yokohama, Japan

Inoue is moving up in weight to face the junior featherweight champ, but is favored in the bout.

By David Fucillo
Japanese boxer Naoya Inoue (C) takes part in a press conference in Tokyo on March 6, 2023, to announce he will fight for two world titles in his super-bantamweight boxing debut when he takes on Stephen Fulton of the US in May. Photo by RICHARD A. BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images

The 2023 boxing calendar has another huge fight coming in May and it’s going to make for a wild weekend. Stephen Fulton Jr. will travel to Yokahama, Japan to face Naoya Inoue in a junior featherweight bout. The fight will take place on May 7 and air on ESPN+.

Inoue will be stepping up in weight to make his 122 pound debut. Fulton is the WBC and WBO champion in a weight class that currently does not have a Ring Magazine champion. Murodjon Akhmadaliev holds the IBF and WBA titles.

While Fulton has spent the bulk of his career at junior featherweight, Inoue has moved up in weight with regularity. He started his career at light flyweight and after winning the WBC title, he moved up to junior bantamweight. He claimed the WBO title and after seven successful defenses, moved up to bantamweight. He spent the past five years in that division and became the undisputed champ.

Fulton won the IBO title in 2019 and then won the WBO and WBC titles across two fights in 2021.

Inoue has opened as a -295 favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook. Fulton is a +225 underdog.

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