Naoya Inoue vs Sam Goodman new date set for January
A new date has been confirmed for the world title fight between Naoya Inoue and Sam Goodman. The contest takes place at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan on January 25.
Two-division undisputed champion Inoue (28-0, 25 KOs) of Japan and Australian contender Goodman (19-0, 8 KOs) were initially set to battle it out on December 24 at the same venue. The bout has been postponed due to a cut the latter suffered above his left eye in sparring.
Naoya Inoue won two fights in 2024 inside the distance against TJ Doheny in September and Luis Nery in May. Stepping through the ropes in early 2025, the undefeated 31-year-old Japanese champion puts his undisputed super bantamweight title on the line.
Sam Goodman scored a unanimous decision against Thachtana Luangphon in July and TKO’d Mark Schleibs in the fourth round in March. Making his international debut as a pro, the unbeaten 26-year-old challenger makes his first attempt to become champion.
In the co-feature, Yoshiki Takei (10-0, 8 KOs) of Japan defends his WBO bantamweight title against Yuttapong Tongdee (15-0, 9 KOs) of Thailand.
Takei scored a unanimous decision against Daigo Higa in September and made the first successful defense of his belt. The undefeated 28-year-old claimed the title against Jason Moloney in May, also by UD.
Coming off three wins in 2024, Tongdee fights for the first time outside of Thailand in his first bid to claim one of four major straps. In his previous fight in June, the unbeaten 31-year-old bested Giuliano Fantone by unanimous decision.
