Naoya Inoue Eyes Historic Fifth Title, Names Two 'Difficult'

Naoya Inoue is targeting a move to featherweight and a shot at becoming boxing's seventh ever five-division world champion, but he admits two potential champions there present a uniquely tough puzzle to solve.

Inoue has his sights set on the 126-pound division. He told Ring Magazine that while any of the current champions would make for an interesting fight, two stand out for their unusual styles. Rafael Espinoza, the WBO champion, and Brandon Figueroa, who holds the WBA belt, have approaches that make their fights hard to call.

"I think any of them would make for an interesting fight," Inoue said. "But Espinoza and Figueroa have particularly unique styles and sense of distance, so I think those would be fights that are difficult to predict." He clarified that this unpredictability doesn't automatically mean they are tougher than other champions, but it does make them fascinating matchups.

The immediate path for Inoue, however, may still lie at super-bantamweight. The boxing world has been waiting for a showdown with fellow pound-for-pound star Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez. That fight is currently expected to happen in March 2027. Rodriguez plans one more bantamweight contest this year before moving up to challenge for Inoue's undisputed super-bantamweight crown.

But Inoue has issued a clear warning. If Rodriguez tries to delay their meeting further, 'The Monster' will simply move up to featherweight, leaving the American behind. This threat adds significant pressure to finalize what would be one of the sport's biggest fights.

After an extremely active 2025 where he fought four times, 2026 has been much quieter for the Japanese superstar. His sole outing this year was a victory over Junto Nakatani. That win looks set to be his only fight of 2026, making his planned activity for early 2027 all the more important. He seems poised to make up for the relative inactivity with a major event, whether it's against Rodriguez or a jump to a new weight class.

Inoue's assessment of the featherweight landscape shows his careful approach. He noted that the other champions, IBF titleholder Angelo Leo and WBC champion Bruce Carrington, fight in a more traditional style. This stylistic analysis is classic Inoue, breaking down future opponents with a calm, technical eye even before any fight is made.

His potential move is about legacy. Capturing a world title in a fifth weight class would place him in an exclusive club with only six other fighters in history. The ambition is clear, and the targets are now named.

• Key Takeaways
• Naoya Inoue is seriously targeting a move to featherweight to chase a historic fifth division world title.
• He identifies WBO champ Rafael Espinoza and WBA champ Brandon Figueroa as particularly 'difficult to predict' opponents due to their unique styles.
• The long-discussed super-fight with Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez is tentatively set for March 2027, but Inoue will move up if it's delayed.
• After four fights in 2025, Inoue has only fought once in 2026, beating Junto Nakatani.