Inoue retains titles, to headline Riyadh card vs Picasso on Dec 27

Naoya Inoue retained his undisputed super‑bantamweight titles with a unanimous decision over Murodjon Akhmadaliev on Sunday in Nagoya and was promptly confirmed as the headliner for a December 27 supercard in Riyadh that will pit him against Mexico's Alan David Picasso. The announcement, made by Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, places Inoue and a host of Japan's top fighters on a bill called Ring V Night of the Samurai at the Mohammed Abdo Arena and will be streamed on DAZN worldwide and on Lemino in Japan, organizers said.

At the IG Arena in Nagoya, Inoue delivered a measured performance to secure scores of 118-110, 118-110 and 117-111, extending his unbeaten run and keeping the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO junior featherweight belts. The champion, who is widely regarded as one of the sport's best pound-for-pound fighters, controlled the bout with a sharp jab, stiff right hand and effective body work, leaving Akhmadaliev largely unable to mount sustained offense. Akhmadaliev's clearest moment came with a late right hook in the final seconds, but it was not enough to alter the outcome.

"I wanted to finish him in the middle rounds, but I did not and...