Two world title belts will be on the line Sunday when bantamweight stars Junto Nakatani and Ryosuke Nishida clash in a Top Rank Boxing on ESPN main event at Ariake Arena in Tokyo.
After conquering the super bantamweight division, Nakatani (30-0, 23 KOs) knocked out Alexandro Santiago in February 2024 to win the WBC bantamweight crown. The 27-year-old three-weight champion has gone 3-0 since, including a third-round knockout of then-unbeaten David Cuellar in his latest bout in February.
Nishida (10-0, 2 KOs), the IBF bantamweight champion, looks to slow down Nakatani while adding his WBC belt to his waist. The 28-year-old dethroned Emmanuel Rodriguez by unanimous decision to capture the IBF title in May 2024. Nishida defended his crown in December with a seventh-round TKO over Anuchai Donsua.
Also on the Top Rank Boxing on ESPN: Nakatani vs. Nishida fight card:
Former kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa (6-0, 2 KOs) faces Victor Santillan (14-1, 5 KOs) in a 10-round bantamweight clash.
Tomoya Tsuboi (1-0, 1 KO) takes on Van Thao Tran (18-1, 10 KOs) in a 10-round bout for the WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight title.
Another pair of bantamweights, Riku Masuda (7-1, 7 KOs) and Michell Banquez (23-5, 15 KOs), square off for 10 rounds.
Where can I watch the Top Rank Boxing on ESPN: Nakatani vs. Nishida fight card?
The main card is scheduled to begin Sunday at 4 a.m. ET on ESPN+ and Disney+.
Fans can catch all the action in the Top Rank Boxing streaming hub.
How can fans access more boxing content from ESPN?
Check out the ESPN boxing hub page for the latest news, features, schedules, rankings and more.