Naoya Inoue Knocks Out Ye Joon Kim in Fourth Round, Eyes U.S. Fights

TOKYO, Japan — Undisputed world junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue delivered a dominant fourth-round knockout victory over Ye Joon Kim on Friday at the Ariake Arena, defending his four world titles and setting the stage for a highly anticipated U.S. debut later this year.

Inoue, known as “The Monster,” improved his record to 29-0 with 26 knockouts, showcasing his trademark power with a devastating right hand that sent Kim to the canvas. The 31-year-old Japanese star, a four-weight world champion, controlled the fight from the opening bell, increasing his intensity in the fourth round to secure the stoppage.

“I’m pretty sure 2025 is going to be the big year for me,” Inoue said after the fight. “Overall, I think it was a good match, but I didn’t have enough time to study my opponent, so I just took some time to see what’s coming from him.”

Kim, a late replacement for injured Australian Sam Goodman, fought valiantly but was outclassed by Inoue’s precision and power. The South Korean challenger, who took the fight on just two weeks’ notice, suffered his third career loss and was stopped for the first time as a professional.

Promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank confirmed that Inoue will fight in Las Vegas this spring, marking his first U.S. appearance since 2021. Potential opponents include Mexican Alan Picasso, the WBC‘s No. 1 challenger, and fellow Japanese star Junto Nakatani, the WBC bantamweight champion.

“I just want to say another great performance by our champion here,” Arum said. “And I observed that the great country of Japan has given [Shohei] Ohtani to the city of Los Angeles, and at least for one fight, the great country of Japan will give this great Inoue to the city of Las Vegas for one fight this spring.”

Inoue’s victory extended his streak of consecutive title defenses to 24 and marked his 10th straight stoppage win. The knockout artist, who has won titles in four weight divisions, is widely regarded as one of boxing’s top pound-for-pound fighters.

Inoue’s next steps include potential fights in Las Vegas and Saudi Arabia, as he aims to expand his global reach. “2025 is the year for me to go overseas to fight,” Inoue said. “I’m planning to have a fight in Las Vegas and Saudi Arabia this year.”

On the undercard, Jin Sasaki secured a unanimous decision victory over Shoki Sakai in a welterweight slugfest, while Yuni Takada earned a split decision win against Goki Kobayashi in a minimumweight bout, moving closer to world title contention.